Talks are expected to go into overtime on the last official day of the COP27 climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, as delegates seek a compromise on an agreement over the issue of “loss and damage” and how to slow down global emissions to combat the climate catastrophe. Activists condemned an early draft agreement which failed to call for the “phase-down” of all fossil fuels. On Thursday, the EU agreed to a new loss and damage fund to compensate poor nations for the impacts of the climate crisis. But key actors, including the United States, have thus far objected to such a fund.
In an 11th-hour appeal to climate delegates, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday urged nations to overcome a “breakdown in trust” between rich and poor, and stand together to prevent the worst effects of the climate crisis.
Secretary-General António Guterres: “This is no time for finger pointing. The blame game is a recipe for mutually assured destruction. I’m here to appeal to all parties to rise to this moment and to the greatest challenge that humanity is facing.”
We’ll have more from COP27 here in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, after headlines.