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Watch COP27 first! What does the climate conference mean for Taiwan?   The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt from November 6th to 18th. The resolution of this annual climate summit will become a key guide for the world to face climate change . Many scholars and organizations in Taiwan participate in it every year. What is the focus of observation this year? Besides shouting "Taiwan can Help", what role can Taiwan play in this climate battle? On the eve of the opening of COP27, "Environmental Information Center" interviewed Li Heqing, a professor of the General Studies Center of National Central University who went to participate, and Zhang Ruiqing and Wei Ziyi, members of the "Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition" (TWYCC) delegation. Ask them to break down the highlights of this annual climate conference.   Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations. What is the significance of participating in the COP for Taiwan? Li Heqing: Taiwan's "Climate Change Response Law" draft is still lying in the Legislative Yuan. The draft includes climate adjustment and carbon pricing, which are expected to be discussed at COP27. These are very important legislative contents, but the heat of discussion seems to have calmed down recently. In addition, this year's conference will be held in Africa, and the national pavilions in Africa should be very worth seeing. The issues of small farmers and indigenous people in various countries may be particularly prominent. Zhang Ruiqing and Wei Ziyi: In addition to carbon reduction, Taiwan should pay attention to the carbon market. The global supply chain is closely linked, and Taiwan is one of them. The carbon fee collection mentioned in the domestic "Climate Change Response Law" draft echoes related topics, and the future development of the draft, whether it can keep up with the pace of the world from promises to actual actions, is also very important.   What is the special task of COP27 held in Egypt this year? Li Heqing: This year is called "African COP (African COP)" because it is held in Egypt. In previous years, COP was most often criticized for "talking too much and doing too little", so everyone expects that this time it will be "Practice COP (Implementation COP)". The most important greenhouse gas reduction framework has been largely finalized in the Paris Agreement, and the remaining discussions will expand to more aspects. COP26 extends from carbon dioxide to methane emissions, such as signing the "Global Methane Pledge", or extending to the end of deforestation. In view of the fact that the current national reductions are not enough, this year hopes to strengthen the national carbon reduction commitments (NDCs). Africa, which has low greenhouse gas emissions, is bearing the brunt of climate change. This year is expected to focus on "adjustment" and "finance" issues. Last year, the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) promised to mobilize about 450 companies from 45 countries to jointly provide nearly US$100 trillion in net zero financing, which will be the focus of continuous tracking this year. Wei Ziyi: COP26 is the first checkpoint after the Paris Agreement. COP27 is relatively low-key, and promises that no more than 100 heads of state will attend. The focus this year is expected to be on funding, including loss and damage compensation and the use of climate adaptation funds. The former has been unable to reach a consensus because developed countries cannot make commitments; the latter requires better planning from developing countries. In addition, at COP15, rich countries have already promised to provide US$100 billion in climate funds to poor countries every year before 2020, but it has not been fulfilled for a long time. This will be the focus of this year's conference.    What can "Taiwan Can Help" do more concretely at the international climate event? Li Heqing: Taiwan has good experience in disaster prevention, with early warning systems, low-carbon communities, and disaster prevention communities. These are our "advantages" and we can make substantial contributions. For example, technology export, assisting Southeast Asian countries to improve disaster early warning and real-time monitoring capabilities, providing disaster prevention training for developing countries, sharing experience in low-carbon communities, etc. Taiwan also has a lot of experience in assisting African farming teams. These are Taiwan's strengths in dealing with climate change. "Taiwan Can Help" is not just a slogan, there should be more specific assistance.   What climate action is host country Egypt doing? Is it friendly to participating civil society groups? Li Heqing: In terms of climate action, Egypt is not doing well either. The first NDC was not submitted until three months before the meeting. However, in the official publicity of Egypt, you can see a lot of photoelectric displays, as well as the announcement of the transformation of the host site into a green town, but don't forget that Egypt is the second largest producer of natural gas in Africa. The current Egypt is a military government led by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Because of this relationship, the participation of local human rights and environmental groups has been greatly reduced. According to The Guardian, the opportunities for NGOs to participate are a quarter less than in previous years, and those who can participate are groups approved by the Egyptian government. Zhang Ruiqing: There are not many places open to the conference this year. Even if it is held in Africa, even youth groups and NGO groups in African countries have to compete for places. Many groups also face the problem of insufficient sponsorship funds. Some African groups book accommodation very late due to the delay in confirming the trip, and can only face super expensive fees, which can cost more than 200 US dollars a night, which is a threshold for youth participation. Take the Taiwan youth delegation as an example. The number of our delegation this year is only half of last year, and the manpower for planning is relatively tight.   How does Taiwan assess our own situation when it comes to subsidies from rich countries to poor countries? Li Heqing: Taiwan's situation is very delicate. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will say that Taiwan is an "island country." It seems that Taiwan is also a victim of climate change. However, from the perspective of emissions, Taiwan's emissions are nearly 1% of the world's carbon emissions, and all island countries combined cannot catch up. It is difficult for us to say that we are a victim country. Taiwan has many industries with high carbon emissions, such as iron and steel, cement, etc. It is not just about reducing carbon emissions, but the transformation of industrial structure should be discussed in depth.   In recent years, youth has become a force to catalyze climate action. What plans do Taiwanese youth have at COP27? Zhang Ruiqing: When we communicate with other youth groups this year, we will share the climate initiatives and experiences of young people in Taiwan when the draft of the "Climate Change Response Act" was revised, and share with the global youth at the COP27 conference through the voice of the delegation. In addition, on the afternoon of November 14th, they will also participate in a side event on climate education-related issues, and have the opportunity to hold workshops to communicate with other youth organizations about climate actions promoted by youth on campus. In addition, we are also cooperating with other Asian organizations to promote a project called "Climate Science Fiction". There will be an action drama show on the spot, so that everyone can see climate change in different ways. As for the weekend parade that attracts attention every COP, although no relevant information has been received yet, the delegation has already made sufficient preparations, and please continue to pay attention.    

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