Sameh Shoukry Ends COP Presidency with ‘Reality Check’, Moment of Silence for Gaza

Egyptian foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry issued a “reality check” in his final speech as COP27 president, at the opening ceremony of the United Nations’ Climate Conference in Dubai. “Most of what we bring forward as tangible solutions and actionable commitments is based on speculation or well wishes,” he said on Thursday. Stating that climate finance is decreasing in relation to developing countries’ growing needs, Shoukry said weak replenishment rounds for the Green Climate Fund and Adaptation Fund “are but two examples of this worrying trend”. Shoukry also criticized countries that are expanding fossil fuel production despite committing to phasing coal out. Shoukry celebrated Egypt’s COP presidency’s successes, at the top of which was passing the blueprint for a Loss and Damage Fund as a “moment where our commitment to a greater cause prevailed”. Before handing over the gravel, Shoukry asked delegates to stand in a moment of silence for “all civilians who have perished during the current conflict in Gaza”, also honoring two climate diplomats who recently died-Founder the International Centre for Climate Change and Development Saleemul Huq and British climate negotiator and one of the architects of the Paris…