MUN COP 27 Debate
Report by Mrs Routledge, Director of MUN
To commemorate the COP27 Conference in Egypt, the Model United Nations Society held a debate on the theme of Climate Change. Our had pupils spent their previous training session looking at the key points up for discussion at the conference, including:
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Net Zero Carbon Emissions
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Phasing out of coal as a fuel source
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Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees
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Extreme weather in 2022
With fierce debate on all sides, pupils represented their countries’ perspectives well, even when they did not agree with them.
Following several amendments and extra clauses, including Liechtenstein (Mr Johnson) recommending a ban on all meat production, calls for developments in Carbon Capture technology and a bate on the future of humanity’s approach to tackling climate change, the delegate of Saudi Arabia (Henry S), ultimately decided that the resolution failed to do enough to deal with the issue at hand and recommended scrapping the lot and starting again!
It is clear that MUN pupils at RHS are thinking really hard about climate action and recognise the importance of the COP conferences, as well as the limitations on what can potentially be achieved. However, they feel the frustrations of not being able to implement the changes they would like to see. That said, there are some excellent speakers amongst them and perhaps, one day, they will be the ones leading the COP debates and making the changes they want to see!
Resolution Question: Climate Change
Committee: General Assembly
Noting with concern that the 1.5 degree target will be a challenge given the lack of progress made by some countries. Further noting the disastrous effects that there have been around the world this year; floods in Nigeria and Pakistan, drought in East Africa, electric storms and bushfires in Australia. Recognising that the current conflict between Ukraine and Russia is causing effects on fuel supplies, but also opens an opportunity for investment in renewable energy;
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Urges countries to be generous in coming to an agreement on supporting suffering countries in dealing with the effects of climate change, including:
a. High carbon-emitting countries giving money to less carbon emitting countries to help them cope with climate change which isn’t their fault (e.g. the continent of Africa contributes only 4% of global emissions but is suffering devastating impacts like drought in the east and flooding in Nigeria).
b. Where countries have dealt well with extreme climate issues, it is important to share best practices in, for example, constructing buildings which can withstand flood waters.
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Recommends that islands and continents combine funding to create offshore tidal generators along the coast.
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Further recommends that all countries cease fracking endeavours and any further exploratory excavations for oil.
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Strongly encourages South American countries, especially Brazil, to cease all activities of felling the Amazon Rainforest and impose harsh fines on companies who violate this.
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Further encourages the phasing out of coal, single use plastics and fossil fuels by the end of 2035.
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