Sturgeon: Much work yet to do on climate change after Cop27

Scotland’s First Minister attended the summit in Egypt this month.

Nicola Sturgeon says there is still much work to do on climate change (Jane Barlow/PA) (PA Archive)

There remains “much work yet to do” on climate change after Cop27, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The conference in Sharm El-Sheikh came to an end at the weekend, after talks which stretched into the early hours of Sunday morning before an agreement was reached.

But the deal has been criticised in the UK, with Cop26 President Alok Sharma saying hopes to keep global warming below 1.5C were “on life support” and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying “more must be done” on climate change.

But there was praise or the work done on loss and damage, with a fund being set up that would draw on contributions from the world’s wealthiest nation to support developing countries struggling with the impact of climate change.

I think it was a missed opportunity in Egypt that that didn't happen

Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister

Speaking to the PA news agency on Monday, Nicola Sturgeon said: “I think Cop27 in Egypt was an opportunity to build on the commitment made in Glasgow a year ago, not just to keep the ambition of limiting temperature rises to 1.5C alive, but actually see action that would make the world much more confident about achieving that goal.

“I think it was a missed opportunity in Egypt that that didn’t happen.”

The First Minister added: “Similarly we didn’t see the progress that many would have liked to see around an acceleration of of the transition away from fossil fuels, we didn’t see the increase in funding for adaptation.

“I think lots is needing done in the aftermath of Cop27.”

The First Minister praised the movement on loss and damage, with the Scottish Government having pledged an extra £5 million in funding for developing countries earlier this month during her visit to the summit.

“Unless we do more to lower emissions and do more to help countries adapt to climate change, then we’re going to see that loss and damage continue to increase,” the First Minister added.

“So there is much, much work yet to do.”