Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, and his colleagues, yesterday, began the first high-level political meeting sequel to the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties (COP27).

Incumbent and incoming COP presidencies of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are hosting the meeting in the Danish capital, together with Denmark.

The ministerial meeting aims to lay the path to a successful COP28 delivering on the Paris Agreement targets and COP27 conclusions.

The Copenhagen Climate Ministerial (CCM) will gather climate leaders and ministers from around the world to push for climate action and an ambitious COP28. The meeting will focus on securing the implementation of the results of COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, while also setting the course towards COP28 in the UAE in December.

COP27 President and Foreign Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry, said: “I am very pleased to co-lead, once again, the CCM. During last year’s first edition, Danish Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, Dan Jørgensen, and the Danish government provided a dynamic and constructive platform for ministerial climate conversations. I am looking forward to a most successful second edition.

“This year, the CCM represents an opportuned occasion, being the first high-level climate forum since COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, to reflect and take stock on the instrumental breakthroughs as well as key achievements and progress that came out of the implementation of COP and outlined at the Sharm El Sheikh Implementation Plan.”

“It is also an opportunity to renew commitments and chart the course for more progress towards and during COP28 in the UAE. In that context, I continue to urge more climate action, advocate against backsliding or backtracking, and to maintain the focus on action and concrete results.”

According to COP28 President-designate, Dr. Sultan Al-Jaber, COP28 UAE will be a milestone moment for the world. “This will be an opportunity for the world to come together for the first ever Global Stocktake, where COP28 will provide an opportunity to drive forward climate action across mitigation, adaptation, finance and loss and damage.

“The COP28 Presidency will lead the world’s response to the Global Stocktake and will work to ensure that together we urgently take every possible action to get the world back on track to cut emissions by 43per cent by 2030 to keep 1.5 alive.

“We will work to drive forward bold, ambitious and practical solutions, while prioritising inclusivity, enhanced accountability and transparency. We must ensure that this is a practical COP, a COP of action, and a COP for all.”

Jørgensen said: “Denmark looks forward to hosting the CCM together with the COP presidencies of Egypt and UAE. At COP27, we took important steps on adaptation, loss and damage.

“Now, we all must deliver on our promises from Sharm el-Sheikh and we must ensure a renewed global focus on curbing emissions and keeping 1.5 alive. This meeting is an important stepping stone for us to deliver together on these agendas at COP28. We are looking forward to welcoming the ministers and climate leaders of the world to Copenhagen to start this pivotal process.”

CCM will be the first time since COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh that ministers of climate and prominent political figures will meet in person to discuss all central issues to the COP process. The current Egyptian COP-president will share the chairmanship of the meeting with the incoming COP-president, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, of UAE. The Executive Secretary of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Simon Stiell, will also be attending.

The two-day ministerial will involve plenaries and breakout sessions on climate adaptation, finance, loss and damage, mitigation, as well as ‘Global Stocktake’, which will take place at COP28.

Global Stocktake is part of the ambition mechanism built in to the Paris Agreement. It will take stock of the implementation of the Agreement to assess the common progress of succeeding with the long-term goals.