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Decarbonization takes center stage at COP27 today, as leaders from public and private sector discuss the pathways and strategies to decarbonize industrial sectors including energy, concrete and steel. The thematic day commenced with a session titled, “The Decarbonization Challenge”, addressing the action pathways needed to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors, and to improve livelihoods of people.
. Day kicks-off with opening remarks from John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
. Focus on most carbon-intensive industries aims to inspire urgent action to reduce emissions.
“The climate crisis is existential, overriding and ever present and we need to look at every piece of the puzzle, including the decarbonization of the industrial sectors that underpin the global economy,” said COP 27 President H.E. Sameh Shoukry, commenting on Decarbonization Day. “Today’s activities provide a significant opportunity to discuss critical plans and policies needed to reduce carbon footprints, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors. We hope the conversations today help facilitate the much-needed transition to and low carbon economy”.
At the opening session, John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate stated: “We are in an era where energy security, energy transition, and the affordability of energy have to be fundamental to the way that we see the world. The way we synchronize these issues today are going to have a profound outcome into the future.”
Following John Kerry’s keynote, there was a panel discussion on the importance of decarbonization. H.E. Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalization African Union spoke passionately on the impact of this transition for Africa. “Africa is the region hit hardest by climate change – the cost of damages cost between 50-80 billion dollars each year, not to mention the loss of lives and conflicts caused by climate change. It’s not theoretical for us, it’s our lives,” she said.
“It’s the food that’s not on our table, it’s the crop that’s been wiped out”, HE Tarek El Molla Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources agreed, saying that it is a “global problem that needs a global solution”.
Decarbonization day will comprise of panel discussions and events throughout the Blue Zone including in national and civil society pavilions to bring forward further progress through public-private partnerships and innovative technologies, to advance from pledges to implementation.
