Malawi set for COP27

Malawi: Malawi's participation in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is critical because the country has obligations and actions to fulfil in response to the provisions enshrined in the Climate Convention, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement to which Malawi subscribes, according to Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change Eisenhower Mkaka.

The 2022 Conference, also known as COP27, will be the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference, taking place from November 6 to 18, 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

Mkaka said that Malawi has benefited significantly from previous years' participation in the form of capacity-building and skills development initiatives, programmes, and projects aimed at increasing the resilience of the country's communities and ecosystems.

Some notable examples include the Adaptation Plan and Climate Proofing Projects, both of which aim to integrate climate change adaptation into district development planning.

He stated that Malawi is preparing to attend this year's conference and that, in order to facilitate coordinated participation, a country position paper has been developed that highlights the country's priority areas to be pursued at the conference and has been validated by key national stakeholders.

Malawi's key overarching priorities for follow-up, according to Mkaka, include: the delivery of the promised US$100 billion to support climate change intervention in developing countries, and we have assembled a strong team to support the African Group's follow-up on the matter.

The Ministry is also expected to hold bilateral meetings and discussions, as well as participate in side events on a variety of topics, during the Conference. Malawi will take part in a side event titled "Addressing Loss and Damage and the Role of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - "The Case of Scotland and Malawi."

The Malawi Government will also host a Malawi Pavilion at the Conference to share best practises and showcase stories of climate change for people, local communities, and institutions that have contributed to climate change in the country. Malawi will also use the Pavilion to host side events and bilateral meetings.

While the UK relinquishes its Presidency and becomes an independent negotiating party, it will continue to prioritise climate change in its diplomacy and international development agendas, including in Malawi, according to Acting British High Commissioner David Pert.

Clement Ndiwo, a representative of the Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC), expressed disappointment that COP26 was a missed opportunity to spur ambitious action to protect hundreds of millions of people in Malawi and other developing countries on the frontlines of climate change.

Since then, the network has petitioned the UNFCCC and the COP Presidency to prioritise adaptation at COP27.

Last year Malawi submitted revised Nationally Determined Contributions NDCs to the UNFCCC secretariat covering both adaptation and mitigation targets.

NDCs are country plans on adaptation and mitigation.