One month from now, and in the midst of a worsening and increasingly dangerous climate crisis, the United Nations Climate Change Conference will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) will last from November 6th to November 18th. The stakes are high, the negotiations face complex challenges and the need to overcome differences and work collaboratively is crucial. In this coming month, each one of us has the power to help build momentum and push for stronger political will and more ambitious climate action.

The effects of climate change are increasingly tangible, severe and widespread. Almost 8 million people have been displaced from their homes, and over 1,500 have died due to the recent floods in Pakistan. The last European summer was among the warmest on record. Droughts, cyclones and wildfires have been devastating communities from China, to Africa all the way to the United States. Despite alarming evidence, our collective response is not nearly enough. There is still more investment in fossil fuels than in climate mitigation and adaptation. Simply said, this means we are feeding the problem more than we are the solution. Cardinal Michael Czerny SJ, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, reinforced that “the planet already is 1.2°C hotter, yet new fossil fuel projects every day accelerate our race towards the precipice.” On similar lines, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell warned that if we do not correct our course, we will “fall off a cliff.” 

Read the analysis of the importance and urgency of this conference by Victoria Reynal (JESC Ecology)