We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
LAST UPDATE | 9 Nov 2022
Lauren Boland reports from COP27
FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER Simon Coveney has emphasised the “moral obligation” on the world to act on climate because of its mounting threat to human lives.
The minister met with representatives of countries acutely vulnerable to the climate crisis in Egypt today at COP27, bringing back the message of the stark reality that “people are dying” because of the climate crisis.
COP27 is coming to the close of its fourth day in Sharm El-Sheikh, where pressure is growing on countries to successfully negotiate new climate commitments.
Coveney arrived in the coastal city last night and spent the day at the conference, where there were 12 meetings on his agenda, before leaving early tomorrow morning.
He met Somalian President Hassah Sheikh Mohamud, as well as the country’s foreign minister and climate minister, where he received an update on the security situation in Somalia and climate issues.
Speaking to Irish reporters at COP27, Coveney said that “in many ways, Somalia is an interesting case study in just how dramatic the impact of climate change can be on populations”.
“We are seeing children starve to death in Somalia because of the fifth drought season in a row, crops failing and some rural communities not being able to feed themselves,” the minister said.
That’s what we’re talking about when we talk about the moral obligation to respond to the climate challenge. Because of the change in weather patterns in certain parts of the world, people are dying.
“On top of that, Somalia has all the security challenges that they face and indeed NGOs working in that country face having to respond to that.
He described the “extent of the challenge that we face and the responsibility that countries and continents like Europe have towards other parts of the world in terms of making a serious impact on reducing emissions in a way that limit and somehow contain the climate change that is already underway in the years ahead”.
Minister Coveney later met Egypt’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry, who is also the COP27 President, whom he met for around an hour to speak about Egypt’s aims for the outcomes of the conference, and the Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, who discuss the climate situation for small island developing states.
He also met the Director General of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Secretary General of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, as well as a team from UCC and Irish solar power company Amarenco.
“The big focus now in terms of what’s new about this COP is what’s going to happen around loss and damage,” he said.
“That is a new area of funding and what is effectively compensation or recognition of the the loss and damage that has been caused by climate change that is currently happening in many countries in the world, and there is an ongoing debate as to how we can progress that area.
“That debate started in Glasgow last year and it’s very much gathered pace in the first week of this COP27.”
That question of whether developed countries will agree to provide substantial loss and damage support to vulnerable ones will continue to dominate this COP and is considered by many to be the marker of whether or not the conference will been seen as a success.
“Ireland is working with its EU partners to try to respond to legitimate asks from many other countries in different parts of the world to recognise that along with mitigation and adaptation, there is also this other sector that needs new funding and new finance,” Coveney said.
“I’m hopeful that we can come to an agreement on that by the end of next week.”
Coveney is the second Cabinet minister to make the trip following Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s attendance at the World Leaders Summit yesterday and on Monday but he won’t be the last.
Minister of State for Overseas Development Colm Brophy, based in the Department of Foreign Affairs alongside Coveney, is attending for two days later this week.
And Minister for Climate Eamon Ryan will lead the delegation next week as the conference picks up pace during the final days of negotiations.
Addressing the World Leaders Summit yesterday, the Taoiseach said that the global climate situation is “urgent but not hopeless”.
He said that “if this generation doesn’t step up urgently, future generations will not forgive us.”
“The burden of climate change globally is falling most heavily on those least responsible for our predicament.
He said that “this generation of leaders cannot say that we didn’t know” about the climate threat.
“The science is clear – every tonne of carbon warms the world, every delay makes our task that bit bigger. Let us not waste a second more.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Yes all this virtue signalling from politicians and mega rich business interests at COP27 is ridiculous. These people fly in individually via private jet, eat opulent meals all sponsored by Coca Cola(possibly one of the biggest polluters on the planet) preside over trillions being spent on military hardware every year, to tell us that cows belching and people driving to work is killing the planet. If the planet is indeed being killed these are the people killing the planet make no mistake and this political ego stroking exercise every year is a propaganda stunt to dupe the taxpayer to fork out more for their excesses, and people are swallowing it hook line and sinker. In reality what the f does Martin, Coveney or Ryan or any of these politicians know about climate science only what their plethera of advisors put on their desk in front of them
@Michael McGrath: couldn’t have said it better myself.
@Michael McGrath: Excellent comment. Speaking of advisors, see the amount that each has and the wages they are on? Incredulous.
@Michael McGrath: bloody cows
People dying in Irish hospitals due to decades of mismanagement any chance of some action on that. ?
Don’t forget to talk about Egypt records on human rights violations and the carbon footprint of their new capital.
And for the 27th time the climate zealot elites of the world gather to talk down and dictate to the great unwashed about the doom and gloom of climate catastrophe,
After 27 years of this and longer the average joe in the street takes this blather with a grain of salt,
Wonder how his mate that he bought a boat with is doing with the planning tribunal..
@Michael Nolan: Do tell!
@Dave Barrett: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ontheditch.com/multiple-high-court-cases-defaulting-property-loans/amp/
@John Fahy: that sums that up
“people are dying” he says?
People die, its a fact of life, in drought, famine, war, suicide, cars crashes, cancer, stroke……we are all going to die. It could be drought in the Horn of Africa, it could be rivers bursting their banks, or storms bringing down trees on houses or cars in this part of the world. We cannot prevent deaths, anywhere or everywhere. It was the same with Covid. People die of things every single day, we ignored everything EXCEPT Covid for 2 years and now there is a tsunami of cancers! You can’t fix everything.
@Margaret Henry: but… but… this one is in the news headlines today. People worry about what is reported in the news. There are studies that show that the less news you read, the less anxious and depressed you are. Some want us to be worried about everything all the time…. others… just their chosen agenda that they have built an identity around.
Where’s eamon?
@Lee Casey: he’ll be there, slithering around somewhere.
@Lee Casey: sounds like a kids book when u say or like that
@Lee Casey: He’s feeling very deflated, unfortunately his bike punctured on route to the airport.
@Lee Casey: asleep
He should that there is a shortage of FOOD worldwide and people are dying from starvation . He and his MASTERS. In Europe are trying to stop Farmers from producing food that is so badly needed to feed these starving people . How can he reconcile that with his crazy ideas about people dying from Climate Change ????.
So this government talks about a legal obligation to help the poorest countries but do forget their legal obligation about homelessness in ireland . People are dying here also unnecessary.
People are dying on the streets of Ireland because they have no roof over there heads clown
People are actually following the COP22/Annoyed/frustrated by inaction, bloated fly-ins?
LMHO.
Good conversation piece while having cocktails by the beech. Virtue signaling junkets at the taxpayer’s expense.
have your say