Doubling climate funding while meeting the world halfway By Howard Hudson, OPEC Fund SPOTLIGHT THE OPEC FUND @ COP27
T he early morning sun rises imperceptibly over the Sinai Desert on the final day of the UN climate change conference in Egypt; a warm breeze ebbs and flows over the harbor sands while ships pass by the port of Sharm El-Sheikh – colloquially known as “Bay of the Wise”. Passing through security at the UN conference center, I am briefly face-to-shoulder with US climate
from grassroots activists to the global elite, take a few joint steps forward before passing the baton on “to all tomorrow’s parties”. This year, the OPEC Fund for International Development was part of that process, hosting major events with ministers, experts and heads of global agencies. The multilateral development institution announced groundbreaking climate finance facilities and instruments and held a multitude of panel sessions exploring climate investments, energy transition, sustainable infrastructure, clean cooking, food security, water and sanitation, and the role of the private sector. Here follows a daily account of the OPEC Fund’s main activities at COP27.
envoy John Kerry, who turns stoically away in a jet-black facemask en route to another negotiation. To my left, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock leads her entourage at pace in a pale green suit, determination incarnate. As at every UN climate conference, many thousands of participants,
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