President Cyril Ramaphosa will participate in the Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit scheduled from today until tomorrow in the Arab Republic of Egypt.
President Ramaphosa is at the summit on the invitation of the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
“President Ramaphosa will on 07 November 2022 Co-Chair the High Level Roundtable on Just Transition, which will allow discussions on innovative approaches to address climate change in the context of Just Transition, inspired by the South African Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP),” the Presidency said in a statement.
On Sunday during the special sitting of the Presidential Climate Change Commission(PCC), President Ramaphosa unveiled government’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) outlining government’s comprehensive priority investment and financing interventions required to achieve decarbonisation commitments and ensure an equitable and just transition.
The 2022 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP27, is held from 06 to 18 November 2022, at the Sharm El-Sheikh International Conference Centre.
WATCH | President Ramaphosa arrives in Egypt
With COP27 taking place in Africa, it presents an opportunity to advance African priority issues, namely:
• Recognition of Africa’s special needs and circumstances;
• Raising the ambitions on mitigation, adaptation and support to developing countries.
• Advance financing arrangements for loss and damage.
• Build on progress made in Glasgow on the importance of Just Transitions.
• Advance discussions on the special needs and circumstance of Africa.
Climate summits provide a platform to make announcements of new climate ambition, political direction and momentum for the UNFCCC negotiations, as well as to address broader issues related to climate change mainly to guide climate change negotiators (beyond the mandate and scope of the UNFCCC negotiations).
The programme for the participation of Heads of State and Government (HOSG) will include an official opening ceremony, high-level round tables, delivery of national statements and high-level side events organised by World Leaders.
During the summit, the Government of Egypt will convene 6 high-level Round Tables on Just Transition; Food Security; Innovative Finance and Climate Development; Investing in Future of Energy; Climate Change and Sustainability of Vulnerable Communities and Water Security.
These roundtables will be attended by the HOSG, Heads of observer organisations and specially invited guests.
On Tuesday, President Ramaphosa will deliver a national statement during the high-level segment of the summit.
The summit further provides a platform for discussing how climate actions can be supportive of broader Just Transitions imperatives, highlighting the need for the COP to agree on a Just Transition Financing Framework under the mitigation work programme as a potential model for supporting energy transition in middle income countries.
“The high-level segment for Heads of State and Government during the summit signifies the importance for World Leaders to implement and transform key climate related decisions into concrete actions and credible plans, continue raising ambition, building up from previous Conference of the Parties, including the Glasgow COP 26 outcomes.
“The segment also keeps the high level commitment on climate change issues, with an aim to fight back climate emergency and promoting coordinated action to tackle climate change,” the Presidency said.
South Africa’s UNFCCC negotiating positions on climate change, are fully aligned to the African common position, as adopted by the African Union’s Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) and the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN).
The President will be supported by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Naledi Pandor; Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Barbara Creecy.
