We cannot give up on COP27

COP27, the next global United Nations summit on climate change, is fast approaching.  The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has made it very clear that we are entering dangerous territory as we reach global tipping points.   Further delay and inaction are not an option. As we head towards COP27, we must be prepared to go big and to be bold, and to bring together businesses, policymakers, NGOs, and investors to drive entire systems change. 

This is not the time to be disparaging, to give up hope, or to walk away from the COP process. Frustrating though it can be, full of flaws and sometimes empty promises, we believe that these long-term negotiations, bringing together nations and non-state actors, can still be a vehicle for significant progress. When there is opportunity, hope remains.  

Why is COP27 important? 

Each COP has the potential to implement real, tangible climate policy that will protect communities across the globe and support future generations. Over 200 countries that have signed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will descend on the conference, sending their leaders, ministers, and negotiators to deliberate climate change policy. Civil society, businesses, international organisations, and the media will all be present to have their voices heard and to campaign for solutions at scale.  

What is happening at COP27?

This year, COP27 takes place in  Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, and the Egyptian Presidency has announced that it intends this COP to be the one to drive action and policy, coining the official slogan ‘Together for Implementation’.  

There will be four key focus areas:  

1. Mitigation 

2. Adaptation 

3. Finance  

4. Collaboration 

As the first African country to host a COP meeting in the past six years, a significant focus will also be placed on supporting vulnerable communities and countries on the African continent. The topic of loss and damage will also be crucial to negotiations, including efforts to ensure that developing nations receive the funding needed to adapt to the changing climate, and to finance their own green transitions.  

Making a difference at COP27

We believe passionately in the power of communications to help shift the world, its industries, policymakers, and people, towards real, tangible, climate action.  

You will find us where the changemakers are - those coming together to address the climate and biodiversity crises, scale ambition, share radical solutions, and campaign for change.  

We will be calling for: 

• Delivery of a dedicated financial mechanism for loss and damage. 
• Additional finance for adaptation and mitigation. 
• Meaningful inclusion of youth and Indigenous Peoples in climate negotiations. 
• Ambitious action to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030.  
• Strong collaboration between the public and private sector to accelerate climate action. 

We will be in the Blue Zone at the heart of COP27, representing people, organisations and coalitions working together to drive action on climate and to advocate for radical systems change across food, nature, water, resilience, and culture.

The Children and Youth Pavilion 

Amplifying the voices of future generations  

For the first time ever there will be a Children and Youth Pavilion at COP27, led by the youth and supported by a wider group of global youth NGOs and Greenhouse. The pavilion aims to showcase the insight and importance of listening to and involving children and young people to galvanise stronger climate action.

The Food Systems Pavilion 

Putting food at the heart of climate negotiations 

With around one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions coming from the food system, transforming food production and consumption is critical to tackling the climate crisis.

We will be supporting leading international organisations in the agrifood sector as they co-host the first-ever Food Systems Pavilion at COP27 to discuss and amplify the opportunities that sustainable food systems provide in the fight against climate change.

The Resilience Hub  

Mobilising action on resilience and adaptation 

Greenhouse will support the Resilience Hub, an inclusive virtual and physical space designed to mobilise action on resilience and adaptation at COP27 and beyond. 

Increasing our ability to adapt to the effects of a warming planet (such as extreme temperatures, droughts, floods, and catastrophic storms) will be key to confronting the climate crisis. Those in the Global South are experiencing these effects first and worst, and their voices and perspectives must be central within decision-making. Promising solutions, insights, and learnings must be rapidly disseminated and scaled.  

The Resilience Hub brings together people from every region across civil society, the private sector, academia and government, to collaborate and scale up action that makes communities and ecosystems around the world safer and healthier – with justice central to the conversation.

The Water Pavilion  

Spotlighting water as a key enabler and solution 

Greenhouse is working with the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources & Irrigation and the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) to ensure that water is meaningfully included in the conversation at COP27, build awareness of the Water Pavilion network, and galvanise stakeholders behind the #Water4Climate movement.

The Nature Zone 

Scaling nature-based solutions to the climate crisis 

Once again, we will be working with Nature4Climate to ensure that nature and biodiversity are at the forefront of discussions at COP27 and that nature-based solutions are scaled at speed.  

Greenhouse will be working closely with the Nature Newsroom to provide a platform for the many voices speaking truth to power about the importance of nature in our fight for a liveable and dignified future. 

There will always be a debate on whether COP is the right process for tackling climate change in a meaningful way and with the urgency required. The framework may not be fit for purpose, and in an ideal world would not be how we’d choose to design it. But for now, it’s what we’ve got.  

For that reason, we’ll make the most of the opportunity to galvanise world leaders, policymakers, investors, and businesses into acting on the most significant issue that we will ever face - while we still have time.