What they are saying at the COP27 climate summit

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (Reuters) – Here are some of the comments made as negotiators at the COP27 climate talks in Egypt made a final push for a deal, trying to bridge divisions over funding relief for climate change disasters and commitments for long-term action.

AVINASH PERSAUD, BARBADOS CLIMATE ENVOY

He called a draft agreement setting up a loss and damage fund for poor, climate-hit nations “a small victory for humankind.”

“Now we need to redouble efforts behind an energy, transport and agriculture transition that will limit these climate losses and damages in the future.”

SUSANA MUHAMAD, COLOMBIA ENVIRONMENT MINISTER

“We hope to have two things which will make this a valuable COP. One, this commitment to 1.5 (degrees Celsius) with clear decisions and no backing back. And Second, that the loss and damage fund will be fundamental. But one without the other it doesn’t make sense, because otherwise we will be accepting catastrophe, and not pushing forward towards avoiding the worst of climate change.”

ROMINA POURMOKHTARI, SWEDEN CLIMATE MINISTER

“It is not acceptable that we will fund the consequences of climate change while not also committing to working on the actual consequences of the emissions.”

Statement from south africa department of environment

“On balance, the draft text suggests there can be good progress on implementation, and we are confident that we are well placed to call this African COP a success.”

SEVE PAENIU, TUVALU FINANCE MINISTER

“We need to at least start off with the Glasgow commitments, and then work on stronger language so that we can make progress towards achieving the 1.5 (degree Celsius limit).”

SAMEH SHOUKRY, COP27 PRESIDENT

“The issue now rests with the will of the parties. It is the parties who must rise to the occasion and take upon themselves the responsibility of finding the areas of convergence.”

“The (draft) text does keep the 1.5 alive,” he said referring to an aim, enshrined by previous climate summits, to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

FRANS TIMMERMANS, EU CLIMATE POLICY CHIEF

“All (EU) ministers … are prepared to walk away if we do not have a result that does justice to what the world is waiting for – namely that we do something about this climate crisis. We’d rather have no decision than a bad decision.”

EAMON RYAN, IRISH ENVIRONMENT MINISTER

“We have to be fast here now, but not fast towards a bad result. Not fast in terms of accepting something that we then spend years regretting – that every year afterwards we say ‘if only we had held the line in Sharm el-Sheikh and got something that really supports the most vulnerable people on our planet.'”

CHRIS BOWEN, AUSTRALIAN CLIMATE CHANGE MINISTER

“Australia’s position is clear and strong: there can be no sliding back from Glasgow and the text should be strengthened where possible.”

KUNAL SATYARTHI, INDIA NEGOTIATOR ON LOSS AND DAMAGE

“Everybody was flexible for the cause of loss and damage and the disasters and people dying and the economy being lost. I thank all the parties … who were not flexible initially but who were flexible now.”

    ESPEN BARTH EIDE, NORWAY CLIMATE MINISTER, ON TWITTER

“Norway is happy with the progress on loss and damage. We are particularly pleased with language that ensures that new financial arrangements will enable broad mobilization of sources and channels to deliver loss and damage finance at scale.”

YEB SANO, HEAD OF GREENPEACE DELEGATION AT COP27

“Once more we call on the Egyptian Presidency to reject the influence of the petro states and fossil fuel lobbyists.

“For this COP to succeed it must include a phase out of all fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas.”

(Reporting by William James, Dominic Evans and Shadia Nasralla; Editing by Janet Lawrence, Frances Kerry and Mike Harrison)