Egypt’s foreign minister on Tuesday called on rich, developed countries to be willing to make compromises at the United Nations climate summit he will host in November, saying negotiations must not be a “game of zero sumโ between rich and poor countries.
Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry made the remarks during a two-day meeting in Berlin, which brought together delegates from 40 countries and was presented as an opportunity to rebuild trust after the lack of progress in last month’s technical talks in prominent topics such as climate aid for developing countries. The “very useful” talks brought the Egyptian authorities “closer to an understanding of the areas of convergence and also of possible divergence that will require more work from all of us” at the November summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. Developing countries are still waiting for rich nations to provide the promised $100 billion a year in climate aid, a goal that was intended to be reached by 2020. They also want progress on the issue of restitution for “loss and damage” caused by climate change. climate.
Opening the Berlin meeting on Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Antรณnio Guterres warned that the global warming limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) agreed in the 2015 Paris climate accords was receding, while more and more people were affected by extreme floods, droughts, storms and fires. European countries have vowed to meet their climate targets despite the war in Ukraine, which has prompted some to seek new sources of fossil fuels and turn at least temporarily to coal to make up shortfalls in Russian energy deliveries. Developing countries have received such measures with suspicion.
Shoukry, president of the conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, said “we must make considerable progress at all levels and make sure no one is left behind.”
“This requires everyone to rise to the occasion and show understanding and a willingness to compromise,” he said during a brief news conference with his German counterpart. “We cannot afford delays or backtracking on commitments” due to Russia’s war in Ukraine and the coronavirus pandemic, he added.
“Climate change negotiations should not be a zero-sum game between developed and developing countries,” Shoukry said.