Day 8: Drinking from the same COP
As the Egyptian sun rises on the second week of COP27, the topics of water and gender are in the spotlight.
The COP Presidency, together with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), has today launched new commitments to improve water efficiency and accessibility, through an initiative named the Action for Water Adaptation and Resilience (AWARE). The initiative identifies three priorities: 1) decreasing water loss and waste and improving water access, 2) collaborating on water-related climate adaptation and recognising the link between action on water and the delivery of key climate goals, and 3) drive action to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, and in particular SDG 6: clean water and sanitation. The actions included in the plan span five main ‘impact systems’, namely food and agriculture, water and nature, coastal and oceans, human settlements, and infrastructure, and including enabling solutions for planning and finance.
The African Cities Water Adaptation Fund (ACWA), which aims to deliver at least 200 water adaptation projects across 100 African nations over the next 10 years, has also been launched today. The fund aims to work by leveraging private while better managing public sector funds and climate and development aid.
Significant gender initiatives are yet to be announced; however UN Women recently called on COP27 Parties to ‘rapidly scale up implementation of all commitments on gender equality and climate’. Speaking at the summit, Helena Gualinga (Kichwa), an Indigenous youth climate leader from Sarayaku, Ecuador said “we are the main custodians of the untouched forests. If women are protected, we will also protect the territories and ecosystems essential to climate mitigation”.
Also announced today, the G7 group of nations has launched a new insurance scheme they are calling the ‘Global Shield’, marketing it as an alternative to the loss and damage fund which has dominated discussions at this year’s COP. While some nations have supported the scheme, concerns over how the money would be allocated have also been raised.
Stay tuned for updates!
#COP27 #TogetherForImplementation
Natasha Jacobs – ESG Consultant, Earth Active
