Don't be distracted by Ukraine war, focus on climate: Egypt to COP27

New Delhi, November 6

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has urged the leaders gathered for the two-week COP27 summit not to let food and energy crises due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine get in the way of taking action on climate change.

The business end of the summit will begin on Monday with World Leaders Summit where the leaders will deliver five-minute addresses each, outlining their expectations from the meeting.

“It is inherent on all of us in Sharm el-Sheikh to accept the magnitude of the challenges we face today and our steadfast resolve to overcome them,” Shoukry said.

Earlier, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the assembled delegates to pay heed to the latest report from the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation which is a “chronicle of climate chaos”.

The report states that the last eight years indicate that the world is on track to entering its warmest ever period.

Global temperatures have risen by 1.15C since the pre-industrial times which will accelerate the rise of sea levels, fasten the glacier mass loss and result in unprecedented heatwaves, it warns.