Delegates began arriving at the convention center on Saturday and the talks will officially begin on Sunday with a session to decide what should be on the agenda for the two weeks of negotiations, before world leaders gather on Monday and Tuesday. However, there are concerns that the talks will not properly address one of the most pressing issues, called loss and damage. This refers to the most devastating effects of extreme weather events, which can destroy a country’s physical infrastructure and tear apart its social fabric. Professor Saleemul Huq, director of the International Center for Climate Change and Development, told the Guardian: “I am optimistic that there will finally be progress on funding for loss and damage at Cop27. Discussions are currently underway as to whether or not it will be included in the Cop agenda. Failure to include this will mean that the Policeman will fail before it has even officially begun.” According to UN rules, an agenda item must be agreed upon at the opening meeting. There is widespread reluctance among developed and developing countries to put loss and damage on the agenda, but the Guardian understands that some major developing economies are avoiding the issue. Harjeet Singh, head of global policy strategy at Climate Action Network International, called on developed countries in the talks to take the lead. “Wealthy governments must commit constructively to address the ongoing injustice of climate-induced loss and damage by pledging to provide support to those affected and phasing out fossil fuels,” he said. “This is the cop where the polluters have to get in the dock and be held accountable.” Cop27, the latest edition of the UN’s annual climate talks, is taking place amid high geopolitical tensions over the Ukraine war, rising energy and food prices and the cost of living crisis around the world. Even the Egyptian hosts have admitted that this will be the most difficult series of talks in at least a decade. Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, said in an interview on the eve of the talks that there was a gap between the rich – who caused the climate crisis and have failed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – and the poor, who are suffering from impacts and lack of financial resources to protect themselves. He called for that gap to be bridged by countries agreeing new ways to finance aid for the poor facing loss and damage from extreme weather and the big polluters that are cutting carbon output the fastest. “There is no way we can avoid a catastrophic situation, if both [the developed and developing world] they are not in a position to make a historic pact,” he said. “Because at today’s level, we’re doomed.” Around 120 world leaders, including Britain’s Rishi Sunak, France’s Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, will gather on Monday and Tuesday at the convention center in Sharm el-Sheikh, where Egypt’s already tight security for the talks will be tightened further. Campaigning groups face the closure of their stalls and stalls while world leaders meet and protests at the Cop will be heavily policed, with many activists confined to a different venue. Plainclothes Egyptian government security guards were in large numbers throughout the convention center and surrounding area on Saturday. Joe Biden will come later in the week due to the upcoming US midterm elections. Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also expected. The most important stories on the planet. Get all the week’s environmental news – the good, the bad and the must-haves Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. China’s Xi Jinping, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and India’s Narendra Modi will be absent. King Charles III, a notable voice on environmental issues for years and a key presence in some previous police officers, has been barred by the UK government. Talks will focus on greenhouse gas emissions cuts by developed and major emerging economies and climate finance for the poorest, as well as the vexed issue of losses and damages. John Kerry, the US special climate envoy, told the BBC on Saturday that loss and damage must be on the agenda. “Obviously those countries with more means across the board – and that includes some developing countries that have more means – also need to step up and help with that transition,” he told Radio 4’s Today programme. “We don’t see it – and we’re not going to see it – as compensation. We will see it as our efforts to try to help countries to adapt, to be able to become more resilient and obviously to deal with the challenges that they face as a result of the loss and damage. You have to work out the methodology by which you will delegate a process that works for everyone.”
