COP27 Climate Change Conference—Urgent Action Needed for Africa and the World

Atwoli et al explain that wealthy nations must step up support for Africa and vulnerable countries in addressing past, present, and future impacts of climate change. The 2022 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) paints a dark picture of the future of life on earth, characterized by ecosystem collapse, species extinction, and climate hazards such as heat waves and floods. While the Paris Agreement of 2015 outlines a global action framework that incorporates providing climate finance to developing countries, this support has yet to materialize. COP27 is the fifth Conference of the Parties (COP) to be organized in Africa since its inception in 1995. Ahead of this meeting, Atwoli et al call for urgent action to ensure it is the COP that finally delivers climate justice for Africa and vulnerable countries. This is essential not just for the health of those countries, but for the health of the whole world.