What to Expect at COP27

Welcome to today’s Morning Brief, where we’re looking at the stakes of COP27, Iran’s drone shipments to Russia, and Haiti’s fuel blockade. 

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More than 100 world leaders will convene in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, this week for the latest United Nations climate change summit (known as COP27) as unrelenting droughts and floods wreak havoc around the world and highlight the dangers of climate inaction. 

During the summit, which runs from Nov. 6 to Nov. 18, heads of governments will take part in grueling negotiations covering everything from emissions targets to climate funding. There are a few exceptions: Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are not participating. 

The conference is taking place as stark scenes from around the world underscore how climate change intensifies extreme weather. Deadly floods submerged one-third of Pakistan just months ago; in East Africa, droughts have plunged millions of people into food insecurity. 

Such extreme events will likely become more frequent and intense if countries fail to slash emissions. Nations previously set a goal to limit warming by 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century compared to preindustrial levels; above that point, tens of millions of people could face new climate hazards, and the glaciers in Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks will likely vanish.

Scientists warn that the world is currently on track to shoot past that target. The past eight years were the warmest ever recorded, and the United Nations has said the world is barreling toward at least 2.5 degrees Celsius of warming under current efforts.

“Global and national climate commitments are falling pitifully short,” said U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres. “We are headed for a global catastrophe. The emissions gap is a byproduct of a commitments gap. A promises gap. An action gap.”

At COP27, one of the central issues being debated is how to address the challenges facing developing countries, many of whom are on the front lines of the climate crisis despite being responsible for a comparatively smaller percentage of global emissions. At COP27, these nations are pushing for a “loss and damage” fund for already-suffered losses. 

The summit has also cast a harsh light on Egypt’s poor human rights record, especially as authorities reportedly stifled dissent in the runup to COP27. According to human rights groups, the Egyptian government has arrested 93 activists coordinating protests against the government as it hosts the summit.

Monday, Nov. 7: The U.N. Security Council discusses Syria.

Tuesday, Nov. 8: Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov meets with his counterpart from India, S. Jaishankar. 

Thursday, Nov. 10: The U.N. General Assembly discusses Afghanistan.

Friday, Nov. 11: Cambodia hosts the 40/41st summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Iran’s weapons supply. Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian publicly confirmed on Saturday that Tehran had shipped drones to Russia, although he said it happened before the war in Ukraine began. 

Robert Malley, the U.S. special envoy for Iran, refuted his claims, tweeting: “Iran didn’t give a limited number of drones before the war. They transferred dozens just this summer & have military personnel in occupied Ukraine helping Russia use them against Ukrainian civilians.”

Haiti’s fuel blockade. Haiti’s G9 gang federation has ended its blockade of a critical gas terminal in the capital, Port-au-Prince, its leader Jimmy Chérizier said on Sunday. The blockade, which began in September, sparked severe fuel shortages that deepened the country’s economic and humanitarian crises.

Protests shake Peru. Protests swept Peru on Saturday as thousands of people called for leftist President Pedro Castillo to step down. Castillo, who has already faced two impeachment votes, is now also facing a constitutional complaint over corruption. 

British-Japanese military ties. The United Kingdom and Japan are set to strengthen their military ties by signing a defense agreement in December, the Financial Times reported. The pact, a Reciprocal Access Agreement, will help facilitate joint drills and operations. 

• The Cult of Modi by Ramachandra Guha

• Pakistan’s Military Is Afraid of Imran Khan by Azeem Ibrahim

• The U.N. (as We Know It) Won’t Survive Russia’s War in Ukraine by James Traub

Standardized testing is painful the first time around, but 55 high school students from El Paso, Texas, might be doomed to retake the SAT after a UPS delivery truck lost their exams, CNN reported. 

UPS has apologized for the situation. “Our employees are working to recover as many tests as possible, and we will work with the school to resolve the situation,” it said.