We spoke with Claudio Schneider, Senior Technical Director of Conservation International Peru, with more than 10 years of experience participating in the Conferences of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as advisor to the Peruvian Ministry of Environment, who is in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt participating in the 27th edition of the COP.
© Conservation International
Why is this COP important?
A few days before the start of the COP27, reports were issued showing the global delay in complying with the commitments to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030. In this sense, this COP must make a very strong call to action and improve multilateral processes to achieve the goals set out in the Paris Agreement. Countries must achieve more concrete results in terms of policies and financing for mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
This year's COP Presidency is held by Egypt, which, as a developing country, will be prioritizing issues related to adaptation, agricultural resilience, and the conservation of water resources. Due to the greater vulnerability of developing countries to the consequences of climate change, securing more funds for adaptation measures and loss and damage is a priority for them. On the other hand, developed countries have a greater interest in promoting measures and funds that favor mitigation. It will be interesting to follow to the development of the negotiations between the northern and southern parties (the so-called global south) due to the implications of national policies.
What is the importance of this COP for Peru?
For Peru, reaching global agreements is extremely important because we are a country that is extremely vulnerable to climate change. In addition, Peru has always been a country with a prominent role in climate change negotiations, even hosting a COP in Lima in 2014. Peru has policies and legislation that it has been developing to comply with its commitments to the Paris Agreement, a supreme decree on climate emergency was recently enacted and the Ministry of the Environment is leading great efforts in the fight against climate change. For example, we have a National Adaptation Plan, the 2050 National Climate Change Strategy is under construction, and we have a Multisectoral Working Group for NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions), where very concrete measures for mitigation and adaptation have been identified in several economic sectors.
Furthermore, in a country where 25% of the national population identifies itself as indigenous or native, strengthening the role of indigenous and vulnerable peoples by ensuring that their voices are heard and considered in the framework of the negotiations is of utmost importance for Peru. This is possible thanks to the Platform of Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples that already exists and is recognized as a formal space within the COP.
This is the second time that the oceans are considered at a COP. What developments are expected from this?
Science has shown the importance of the oceans for climate regulation and the impacts that climate change has on the oceans. However, oceans have not been part of the negotiating agenda. Yet, it is becoming increasingly clear that ocean systems and ecosystems are being severely impacted by pollution and rising global temperatures are affecting their ability to absorb carbon - they are the main carbon sink on the planet. By including them on the COP agenda, we are drawing attention to their care and to generating funds and climate change mitigation and adaptation measures for their protection. A dialogue on the oceans has already begun within the framework of the UNFCCC and we want this dialogue to continue to request greater inclusion and progress in the commitments on solutions based on coastal and marine ecosystems.
You have been participating in the negotiations for more than 10 years. How does it work?
As a negotiator supporting the Ministry of Environment, I seek to strengthen the participation of the Peruvian delegation with technical assistance so that Peru can have a solid position to access the necessary resources that will allow us to finance the necessary adaptation and mitigation measures. We are seeking to reach a consensus among the 192 participating countries and for this purpose there are many spaces and groups, both formal and informal, for negotiation. Things are managed by blocs. The Latin countries have spaces where we prepare our own consensus positions, and so do the other groups, the group of African countries, or the group of European countries, and so on. There are also observer groups where civil society organizations, such as environmental organizations, indigenous peoples' organizations, youth organizations, etc., also seek to have their interests heard in the negotiation processes.
The complexity of these spaces often makes it difficult to reach consensus. How do you do not lose hope?
The UNFCCC is the only multilateral mechanism that allows us to reach global agreements to address climate change. It is a formal instance that, despite being very complex, allows us to reach consensus. I feel that public opinion is getting stronger and carries more weight. Young people, companies and civil society have taken more action and there is much more pressure to change the status quo. At the corporate and shareholder level we see a significant change from the last five years, for example, Wall Street is requiring companies that want to go public to have net zero emissions targets. The changes are happening, not at the speed we would want, but they are happening, and the only thing left for us to do is to keep pushing so that mitigation and adaptation efforts and goals are met.