What is Cop27?
For almost three decades, world governments have met nearly every year to forge a global response to the climate emergency. Under the 1992 UN framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC), every country is treaty-bound to “avoid dangerous climate change” and find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an equitable way.
Cop stands for conference of the parties under the UNFCCC. Meetings have swung between fractious and soporific with moments of drama and the occasional triumph (the 2015 Paris agreement) and disaster (Copenhagen in 2009). This year promises to be a difficult follow-up to Cop26 in Glasgow.
When does it finish?
The conference is being hosted by the Egyptian government in Sharm el-Sheikh. The talks are scheduled to end at 6pm on Friday 18 November but they may extend by a
