Report from COP27 Climate Change Conference

This week, world leaders and activists from around the globe gathered in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, for the United Nations Climate Change conference (27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC or COP27).

ELAW Attorney Érick Kassongo participated. Érick has worked for years to protect the environment and defend human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo and across Africa. He co-founded the Congolese Center for Sustainable Development Law (CODED), based in Kinshasa, and serves as its Executive Director.

Érick reflected on COP27:

“The clean energy transition is an opportunity for many African countries to bypass traditional fuels and infrastructure and go straight to building sustainable energy systems. But these nations need support and investments from the international community. In brief, we need more progress from the big carbon emitters. Many of their commitments to tackle climate change have not been honored, especially promises of adaptation financing for least developed countries.”

Érick is joined at COP27 by ELAW partners from Chile, Egypt, Israel, Kenya, Liberia, Mexico, Spain, Uganda, South Africa, and Sri Lanka.

Bern Johnson
Executive Director
Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide