SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) 鈥 A senior Human Rights Watch official slammed the Egyptian government鈥檚 human and environmental rights record, saying that the space for environmental activism in Egypt 鈥渋s severely curtailed.鈥
Richard Pearshouse, director of environment and human rights at HRW, said environmental activists in Egypt have faced 鈥渃onstant harassment鈥 by security forces including restrictions on travel, foreign funding, and research permits.
He said that such restrictions bar public debate and research on damages caused by business, agro-industry, cement factories and other businesses linked to the military.
鈥淭hose are ... the types of issues that can鈥檛 be talked about domestically and have almost no presence鈥 at the United Nations climate conference in Egypt, he said.
Pearshouse described Egypt as a 鈥渉uman rights black hole,鈥 and challenged statements from Egyptian officials that raising human rights issues at the COP27 was 鈥渁 distraction鈥 from climate change.
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KEY DEVELOPMENTS:
鈥 Ministers make push
鈥 At climate summit,
鈥 As climate change progresses,
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Germany鈥檚 foreign minister says further climate-related aid should particularly help those who suffer the most from global warming and can鈥檛 pay for the impacts themselves.
But Annalena Baerbock told reporters Wednesday on the sidelines of U.N. climate talks in Egypt she wasn鈥檛 confident a new fund for 鈥榣oss and damage鈥 can be agreed at this year鈥檚 meeting, adding: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if this is the right moment now.鈥
She also urged concrete plans for international efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, including for specific sectors.
Some developing countries and emerging economies, such as China, have resisted these efforts, arguing their inclusion in the so-called mitigation work program being discussed at the Egypt meeting would go beyond the requirements of the 2015 Paris climate accord.
But Baerbock said failure to do so could mean the overarching goals of the Paris pact would be impossible to achieve.
鈥淚f we don鈥檛 do anything in the next ten years then we鈥檒l reach 2030 and have missed the 1.5-degree goal by such a margin that we probably can鈥檛 return to it.鈥
鈥淲e know that there are countries which view this differently, maybe out of their own self interest,鈥 she said, without elaborating.
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The former Irish President has urged negotiators at the United Nations climate conference to take a 鈥渞eal decision鈥 on climate financing to vulnerable countries.
Mary Robinson, who is also chair of the Elders group of global leaders who advocate for peace and justice, said the progress at the beginning of the summit by putting the issue on the official agenda needs to be met with 鈥渁 landing that brings money to the most vulnerable.鈥
Robinson called for global financial institutions, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, to free more funds to help vulnerable nations recover and be prepared for climate change impacts.
鈥淭hey actually have ways of opening up their lending much more without losing their triple-A rating,鈥 she said.
She also called world leaders to keep alive the target of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century.
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Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate criticized the continued discussion and resistance from some countries to establish a loss and damage financing structure to pay compensation for poorer countries suffering the worst effects of climate change.
Nakate also called for governments around the world to phase out fossil fuels to keep to the 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) warming limit set out in the Paris agreement.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we not only address the issue of loss and damage, but also address the root cause of loss and damage,鈥 she said.
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Climate protestors Wednesday pushed for the 1.5-degree Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) limit on global warming to remain part of climate talks.
鈥淥ur demands to the negotiators for the next 48 hours as people from the Pacific and as frontliners in climate change is simple. We cannot have 1.5 degrees Celsius watered down,鈥 Fijian climate activist Vivania Tatawaqa told The Associated Press. Scientists agree that limiting warming to just 1.5 degrees will save the planet from the worst effects of climate change.
Several groups protested Wednesday within the venue鈥檚 鈥楤lue Zone鈥 where access is limited to conference participants. Earlier in the day dozens of health professionals demonstrated to highlight the impact weather events exacerbated by climate change have on health.
鈥淲e are here to advocate for the climate crisis and make sure everyone understands that it鈥檚 also a health crisis,鈥 medical professional Poorvaprabha Patil said. 鈥淓very time you have a flood and check out the communities, you will see a rise of infectious diseases.鈥
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The European Union climate chief said there is still 鈥渁 long way to go鈥 in the ongoing negotiations at the United Nations conference on climate change taking place in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt this year.
Frans Timmermans said he remains 鈥渉opeful鈥 that they can achieve 鈥済ood conclusions鈥 at the conference, which ends Friday.
Asked about the issue of compensation for vulnerable nations suffering the impacts of climate change, known as loss and damage, which is one of the main topics of this year鈥檚 summit, Timmermans said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e all willing to find some substantial steps forward, but we鈥檙e not there yet.鈥
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A senior European Union official said they were still establishing the facts about a missile that fell in NATO-member Poland, killing two people. It remains unclear who fired it, though U.S. President Joe Biden said it was 鈥渦nlikely鈥 it was fired from Russia.
EU climate chief Frans Timmermans said Wednesday that the bloc stands beside Poland which is also an EU member.
鈥淲e are in full solidarity with Poland and the Polish people. They are an important part of NATO and of the European Union,鈥 Timmermans told The Associated Press on the sidelines of the United Nations climate conference in Egypt鈥檚 seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.
鈥淲e stand as one in this, and I hope we can get clarity of what actually happened very soon,鈥 he said.
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Climate envoy John Kerry said the U.S. is 鈥渇ully engaged鈥 in talks with China at the U.N. climate summit underway in Egypt.
Kerry , a hint of improving relations seen as vital for substantial progress against global warming. Beijing put talks on hold three months ago in retaliation for U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi鈥檚 trip to Taiwan.
Asked what the outcome of the summit may be, Kerry replied: 鈥淲e鈥檒l have to see, it鈥檚 a late start.鈥
Speaking at an event to mark the conference鈥檚 themed day on biodiversity, Kerry confirmed he had also met with Brazilian president-elect Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva Tuesday.
Kerry said he 鈥渨as really encouraged by the ways in which he talked about once and for all getting it right, pulling people together in order to preserve the Amazon.鈥
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A lawmaker with the German Green party has called for establishing a legal structure to force polluters to pay for the destruction caused by climate change in vulnerable nations.
Speaking at an event at the U.N. climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, Michael Bloss pointed to the devastating flooding in Pakistan this summer, which put one third of the country鈥檚 population underwater and .
The floods "are directly caused by the climate crisis,鈥 he said, adding that the the world's biggest emitters 鈥渁re responsible for losses and damages.鈥
Bloss criticized European governments for weakening efforts to establish a loss and damage fund which he said has 鈥済reat support鈥 in the European parliament.
The issue of compensation was once considered a taboo, because rich countries were concerned that they might find themselves paying vast sums. Intense pressure from developing countries forced the issue of 鈥渓oss and damage鈥 onto the formal agenda at the talks for the first time this year.
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