Reuters. The climate commitments made by countries in last year’s COP 26 summit in Glasgow should not be sacrificed in the face of “Russia’s energy threats,” French President Emmanuel Macron said at the COP27 summit on Monday (November 7).
World leaders gathered in Egypt on Monday for the beginning of the COP27 UN climate conference in Egypt. Talks on reparations for poorer states disproportionately affected by climate change are set to feature prominently in the conference.
Speaking in a speech at the climate summit in Sharm el Sheikh, Macron said countries should instead rely on energy sobriety and develop renewables amid surging energy prices worldwide brought about by Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.
"We have to get out our coal economies, which is at the heart of the European strategy that concerns the richest countries, but we also so have to help emerging countries to do so as fast as possible,” Macron said. “This is a key point if we want to achieve this entire strategy and the Paris agreement."
He said he has asked world finance institutions to formulate plans by next spring to develop access to funds for emerging countries and those heavily impacted by climate disasters.
"Let's not let ourselves slow down,” Macron said. “We can only get through this through a deep reconfiguration of our solidarity mechanisms, both public and private, and through our own rules.”
