ECOCLUB — From November 8 to 16, world leaders from around the globe gathered in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for one of the most important conferences ever.
Written by EcoClub Executive, Victoria Keppel-Jones. Edited by Derek Gou, The Viking View Editor.
Image 1. Outside COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt (image via World Economic Forum).
COP27 is an event where governments meet to decide on steps to take to limit rising global temperatures. The name itself stands for the 27th Conference of the Parties, referencing that this annual conference has been held since 1992. Attendees included government officials and representatives, environmental activists, community groups, and businesses. At the conference, pressing issues, such as carbon emissions, finances and funding, and preparing for climate change, took center stage during discussions between global powers (Stallard, 2022).
Canada invited not only many high-ranking government officials but also Canadian students to attend COP27. Grade 12 student Sean Bernard, from Waterhen Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan, was chosen as a Youth Delegate for the event. Bernard jumped at the opportunity to represent not only youth but also Indigenous communities across North America. At COP27, he was part of a presentation to world leaders about youth and future generations. Bernard was also invited to speak at the COP27 Health Pavilion and was one of just five youths to gain access to major negotiations taking place at the event. In addition to speaking to world leaders, Bernard also had the chance to speak with other Indigenous attendees to discuss climate change in their communities and the best course of action against climate change.
Image 2. Sean Bernard of Saskatchewan, attending COP27 as a youth delegate (image submitted by Tanis Crawford to CBC).
At COP27, Canada hosted a Canadian Pavilion for the first time in recent history. The pavilion was a space where Canada could showcase efforts from Canadians against climate change from all kinds of people, including Indigenous people, youth, and more, providing more Canadian representation at COP27. There were three guiding “pillars” which were areas of focus at the COP27 Canadian Pavilion: ambition, implementation, and partnership. The ambition pillar was about efforts, actions, and goals taken against climate change, such as plans to reduce emissions, in an attempt to inspire other countries to create their own plans and goals. The implementation pillar was about focusing on actions that have been taken and actions that need to be taken to improve the Canadian environmental situation. Lastly, the partnership pillar focused on Canada’s approach to including all members of society in the fight against climate change by amplifying Indigenous and youth voices and working with businesses and international organizations (Government of Canada, 2022).
At COP27, representatives have the chance to talk about the actions their countries are taking to combat climate change and discuss the goals they have and steps they have to take. However, an important question must be asked: is COP27 an example of greenwashing? Does COP27 trick people into thinking that countries are doing more than they actually are? For most countries, does COP27 cause change, or is it a chance for countries to receive praise about actions they aren’t taking and targets they won’t reach? As Canada and other countries continue to attend these conferences, it’s important for the next generation to monitor and encourage progress toward a greener future.
Works Cited
“Canada Pavilion at COP 27.” Canada.ca, 26 October 2022, https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/canada-international-action/un-climate-change-conference/cop27-summit/canada-pavilion.html. Accessed 25 November 2022.
Frew, Nicholas. “High school student from northern Sask. First Nation representing youth at COP27 in Egypt.” CBC, 9 November 2022, https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/high-school-student-northern-first-nation-representing-youth-at-cop27-1.6645974. Accessed 25 November 2022.
Stallard, Esme. “What is COP27 and why is it important?” BBC, 7 November 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-63316362. Accessed 25 November 2022.
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