The so-called COP begins today in the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm al-Sheikh. There, representatives from around 200 countries want to spend two weeks discussing the climate emergency. Heinz Bierbaum, the President of the European Left, comments:
“COP27 is taking place against a tense political situation in Egypt and geopolitical background, with Russia’s war in Ukraine causing energy prices to skyrocket worldwide. With the awarding of COP27 to Egypt, the el-Sisi regime began a systematic campaign of greenwashing of his Dictatorship.
“Although some prominent opposition figures have been released recently, there are estimated 65,000 political prisoners currently behind bars in Egypt. Around 100 people have reportedly been arrested in the run-up to COP27. The Party of the European Left demands freeing of all political prisoners in Egypt.
“Natural disasters such as this year’s floods in Pakistan and Nigeria as well as fires and drought in Europe this summer have once again underlined the urgency of meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.
“Climate change is a very different ball game in poor and rich countries and the cleavage is getting only bigger. People in Egypt and throughout Africa are historically low emitters who are unproportionally impacted by global warming. They should receive climate reparations from richer high emitters. The EL wants to promote solutions for climate change based on global solidarity and justice.
“The agenda of the conference and its non-binding resolutions are determined by powerful governments and multinational corporations with little interest in real change. This can not guarantee a real climate action! An adequate civil society participation and responde at the summit won’t be possible under the current political situation in Egypt. A number of decentralised civil society mobilizations have been announced. The EL supports the counter-summit activities which will express the urgency to take action concerning the degree of the catastrophe.”
