President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Egypt where he will participate in the Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit scheduled from 07-08 November 2022 in the Arab Republic of Egypt.

The 2022 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP27, will be held from 06 to 18 November 2022 at the Sharm El-Sheikh International Conference Centre.

The Presidency says with COP27 taking place in Africa, it presents an opportunity to advance several African priority issues, including:

• Recognition of Africa’s special needs and circumstances;

• Raising the ambitions on mitigation, adaptation and support to developing countries.

• Advance financing arrangements for loss and damage.

• Build on progress made in Glasgow on the importance of Just Transitions.

• Advance discussions on the special needs and circumstance of Africa.

The programme for the participation of Heads of State and Government will include an official opening ceremony, high-level round tables, delivery of national statements and high-level side events organised by World Leaders.

During the summit, the Government of Egypt will convene 6 high-level Round Tables on Just Transition; Food Security; Innovative Finance and Climate Development; Investing in Future of Energy; Climate Change and Sustainability of Vulnerable Communities and Water Security.

President Ramaphosa will on Monday, 7 November Co-Chair the High Level Roundtable on Just Transition, which will allow discussions on innovative approaches to addressing climate change in the context of Just Transition, inspired by the South African Just Energy Transition Partnership.

President Ramaphosa yesterday during the special sitting of the Presidential Climate Change Commission(PCC) unveiled government’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) outlining government’s comprehensive priority investment and financing interventions required to achieve decarbonisation commitments and ensuring an equitable and just transition.

On 8 November, the President will deliver a national statement during the high-level segment of the summit.

The Summit further provides a platform for discussing how climate actions can be supportive of broader Just Transitions imperatives, highlighting the need for the COP to agree on a Just Transition Financing Framework under the mitigation work programme as a potential model for supporting energy transition in middle income countries.

The high-level segment for Heads of State and Government during the summit signifies the importance for World Leaders to implement and transform key climate related decisions into concrete actions and credible plans, continue raising ambition, building up from previous Conference of the Parties, including the Glasgow COP 26 outcomes.

The segment also keeps the high level commitment on climate change issues, with an aim to fight back climate emergency and promoting coordinated action to tackle climate change.

South Africa’s UNFCCC negotiating positions on climate change, are fully aligned to the African common position, as adopted by the African Union’s Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) and the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN).

The proceedings of the summit open to media will be live streamed on https://unfccc.int/cop27#events and on all PresidencyZA digital platforms.