Despite growing signs that major breakthroughs are unlikely, the UN climate summit’s Egyptian hosts are tenaciously clinging to hopes for a “meaningful and robust” outcome.
In a pair of back-to-back news conferences at Cop27, a top official from the Egyptian presidency and the European Union’s point man on climate offered equally cautious scenarios on the outcome of the two-week summit, scheduled to wrap on Friday.
There are reportedly deep divisions over issues including the recommitment to capping the rise of the planet’s temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels as well as the question of loss and damage — a term referring to the responsibility of rich, industrialised countries to bankroll efforts by developing nations to adapt to and mitigate the impact of climate change.
But career Egyptian diplomat Wael Aboulmagd peppered his caution with optimism that breakthroughs can still be made.
“We are making all the efforts at our disposal because we want a meaningful and robust outcome. We still want something meaningful to come out,” he said.
There were, he said, “gaps” among the delegates of the nearly 200 nations participating in the summit on renewing their commitment to the agreement reached seven years ago to limit global temperature rises to 1.5°C.
This follows the disclosure made last week by the US climate envoy John Kerry that some unnamed countries did not want to stick to the 1.5°C pledge.
Frans Timmermans, the EU’s top climate official, offered the 27-nation bloc’s view on the issue of loss and damage, saying he was “not sure we will find consensus this week”.
“We want to find solutions that are agreeable to everyone. I hope we can be pragmatic,” he said.
He went on to explain that the needs of countries hit hard by climate change vary.
“We want to tailor-make solutions that suit the needs of each country.”
His comments appeared to align with the general view of many in the rich nations’ camp that existing and new mechanisms to help countries suffering from climate change would be sufficient, rather than creating new ones dedicated to loss and damage.
The US has categorically dismissed the creation of a new entity to channel loss and damage funds.
Not reaching a meaningful compromise on loss and damage will come as a blow to many developing countries whose delegates have spoken passionately in Egypt about the need for an agreement on the issue, citing the devastation wreaked by climate change.
It will also dishearten the Egyptian hosts, who touted as a major diplomatic victory the inclusion of loss and damage on the official agenda — something that had proved elusive for many years.
Already, there is chatter among delegates in Sharm El Sheikh, the Red Sea resort city where Cop27 is being held, that the conference would go into overtime and not finish on schedule on Friday.
Egyptian Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad acknowledged that big sticking points remain unresolved. She cited the called-for doubling in finance to adapt for future climate disruptions as well as loss and damage.
But she, too, struck a hopeful note, saying she expected much progress to be made when ministers take over from technical delegates.
Delegates, however, said Cop27 in Egypt would not be allowed to go down as a failure, explaining that a string of small victories would be made, such as rich nations making good on past promises of funds for developing nations.
There is also likely to be new targets on gas emissions announced by the world’s major polluters — the US, China, the EU and India — that match the rapid climate deterioration.
Mr Timmermans, also the European Commission Vice President, announced in Sharm El Sheikh that the EU would exceed its original plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent by 2030.
The bloc, he said, will be able to cut the emissions by 57 per cent from 1990 levels.
“Europe is staying the course and, in fact, accelerating the course,” he said on Tuesday. “The EU has to look forward, not backward.”
Offering a glimmer of hope for the proceedings in Sharm El Sheikh, Brazil's president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived at the summit on Tuesday, bringing with him a message that “Brazil is back” in the struggle against climate change.
The left-wing leader is scheduled to meet top US and Chinese climate officials in Egypt as he seeks to restore his country's credibility as a key partner in global efforts to stem global warming.
Last month, Mr da Silva defeated right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, who oversaw mounting destruction of the Amazon rainforest and refused to host the 2019 climate summit originally planned to take place in Brazil.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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My Country: A Syrian Memoir
Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury
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A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
THE%C2%A0SPECS
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE%C2%A0SPECS
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
John%20Wick%3A%20Chapter%204
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chad%20Stahelski%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Keanu%20Reeves%2C%20Laurence%20Fishburne%2C%20George%20Georgiou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
TOP 5 DRIVERS 2019
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 10 wins 387 points
2 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 4 wins, 314 points
3 Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 3 wins, 260 points
4 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2 wins, 249 points
5 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1 win, 230 points
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Price, base: Dh228,000 / Dh232,000 (est)
Engine: 5.7-litre Hemi V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 552Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.5L / 100km
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FLIP5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
