The UN’s climate change summit has opened in Egypt with a warning that our planet is “sending a distress signal”.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was responding to a UN report released on Sunday saying the past eight years were on track to be the warmest on record.
More than 120 world leaders are due to arrive at the summit known as COP27, in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
This will kick off two weeks of negotiations between countries on climate action.
COP27 president, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, urged leaders to not let food and energy crises related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine get in the way of action on climate change.
“It is inherent on us all in Sharm el-Sheikh to demonstrate our recognition of the magnitude of the challenges we face and our steadfast resolve to overcome it.”
The need for action was laid bare in the latest report from the UN’s World Meteorological Organization.
Mr Guterres sent a video message to the conference in which he called the the State of the Global Climate Report 2022 a “chronicle of climate chaos”.
In it, scientists estimate that global temperatures have now risen by 1.15C since pre-industrial times and said the latest eight years were on track to be the warmest on record.
The report also warned of the other wide-ranging impacts of climate change, including the acceleration of sea level rise, record glacier mass losses and record breaking heatwaves.
Mr Guterres said that in light of these findings, COP27 must be the place for urgent and credible climate action.
COP27 will really begin in earnest on Monday with a World Leaders’ Summit, when heads of state and government leaders deliver five-minute addresses outlining what they want from the meeting.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to urge world leaders to move “further and faster” in transitioning to renewable energy.
He will also tell leaders not to “backslide” on commitments made at last year’s COP26 summit in Glasgow.
World leaders will speak on Monday and Tuesday, and once they depart, conference delegates get down to the business of negotiation.
At last year’s summit in Glasgow a number of pledges were agreed:
• to “phase down” the use of coal – one of the most polluting fossil fuel
• to stop deforestation by 2030
• to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030
• to submit new climate action plans to the UN
Developing nations – which are at the forefront of climate change – are demanding that previous commitments to finance are upheld.
What is the UN climate summit?
UN climate summits are held every year, for governments to agree steps to limit global temperature rises.
They are referred to as COPs, which stands for “Conference of the Parties”. The parties are the attending countries that signed up to the original UN climate agreement in 1992.
COP27 is the 27th annual UN meeting on climate. It will take place in Sharm el-Sheikh from 6 to 18 November.
Who will be at COP27?
More than 200 governments have been invited.
Having previously announced he would not go, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is attending.
In a speech on Monday he is set to urge world leaders at COP27 to move “further and faster” in transitioning to renewable energy. He will say Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “reinforced” the importance of ending dependence on fossil fuels.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson is also going, but King Charles will not be there, following government advice. However, he held a hpre-conference reception at Buckingham Palace.
Vladimir Putin is not due to go, although Russian delegates are still expected to take part.
Other countries, including China, have not confirmed whether their leaders will attend.
Hosts Egypt called on countries to put their differences aside and “show leadership” on the issue of climate change.
Environmental charities, community groups, think tanks, businesses and faith groups will also take part.
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