What does COP27 mean for Africa and Climate Justice?

The paper titled ‘Africa and Climate Justice at COP27 and beyond: impacts and solutions through an interdisciplinary lens’ argues that climate justice needs to be at the heart of the COP27 negotiations in Sharm El Sheikh. African countries disproportionately face impacts of climate change on their environments, their economies, their resources, and their infrastructure. This leads to greater vulnerability and increased exposure to the negative effects of a changing climate.

This study highlights the importance of climate justice and its role within the UN negotiations, and ultimately in concrete action. It looks at the ongoing climate impacts across key sectors in the African region affected by climate change (they are all interconnected and under threat). In preparation of COP27, this paper argues that the economic and social conditions in Africa can be addressed through financial and collaborative support for adaptation and localised solutions, which will only be achieved if climate justice is prioritised by the decision makers. 

Prof. Parikh said: “Special thanks to University College London (UCL) Grand Challenges for funding the project and to the UCL team including co-leader Prof. Mark Maslin, co-authors Dr Simon Chin-Yee, Prof. Jacqueline McGlade, Prof. Anthony Costello, Prof. Richard Taylor and Dr Matthew Winning, Prof. Yacob Mulugetta as well as researchers Jonathan Barnsley, Jhénelle Williams, and John Lang.”

Read the full paper here.