COP27: outcomes, achievements and costs

Scottish Government pavilion activities

To support the activity at COP27, the Scottish Government partnered with ICLEI to host a pavilion. This partnership allowed both shared (and so reduced) costs and increased Scottish Government reach with Scottish Government events at the pavilion well attended. The pavilion provided a platform in the heart of the Blue Zone to highlight the climate action and leadership by the Scottish Government and by non-party governments, demonstrating the importance of delivering climate action at all levels.

See details of all the activities that took place at the pavilion. However, as the pavilion was shared, only some of the events were hosted by the Scottish Government. Below lists the events that the Scottish Government and several of our global south partners hosted to highlight key issues and contribute ideas and innovation to the COP debate.

Monday 7 November 2022 - “When will leaders lead? Creating fiscal space and directed finance for climate and health goals”

Panel: First Minister; Mia Amor Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organisation; Hala El Said, Minister for Planning and Economic Development, Egypt; chaired by Professor Mariana Mazzucato, UCL.

The panel discussed the role of the public sector in shaping and directing climate finance.

Tuesday 8 November 2022 

• “A year in action: Loss and damage from COP26 to now”

Speakers included: First Minister; Saleemul Huq, ICCCAD, UN High Level Climate Champion representative, Julius Ng’oma, National Coordinator of the Civil Society Network on Climate Change, Fahad Hossain research officer at International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), Ines Bakhtaoui, Research Associate at Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Christianne Zakour, Small Island Developing States Regional Facilitator for UNEP Major Group of Children & Youth, Loss and Damage Youth Coalition

FM announced Scotland’s commitment to funding a programme focussed on non-economic losses and damages.

• Reception hosted by the First Minister, with participation from non-party governments.

Thursday 10 November 2022 - “A spotlight on states and regions’ contributions to the Global Stocktake – ‘getting it done’”

Speakers: Cabinet Secretary Matheson (remote); Laurence Tubiana, European Climate Foundation; Nigel Topping, UN High Level Champion; and chaired by Tim Benton, Chatham House.

Other panellists included: Amaia Barredo, Vice Minister for Environmental Sustainability, Basque Country, Spain; Raffaele Cattaneo, Regional Minister, Environment and Climate Change, Lombardy, Italy; Badara Samb, President of the Region of Louga, Senegal; Marília Carvalho de Melo, Secretary of State for Environment and Sustainable Development, Minas Gerais, Brazil; H.E Anne Waiguru, EGH, Governor Kirinyaga County and Chairperson, Council of Governors, Kenya; Sergio Graf Montero, International Coordinator of Climate Action; representative of the Governor Enrique Alfaro, Jalisco State, Mexico; Natalia Uribe, Secretary General of Regions4.

Saturday 12 November

• Adaptation innovation labs

An interactive lab session to build the capacity of attendees’ adaptation plans and actions.

Attendance: Regions4 and Climate-KIC and Scottish Government officials (virtually)

• Regions4 evening reception

Monday 14 November 2022

• Why Full, Meaningful, and Equal Participation of Women and Youth in Party Delegations will ensure #MultiLevelActionDelivers

Led by WEDO and the Climate Youth Negotiator Programme

Attendance: Scottish Government officials

Tuesday 15 November 2022

• Regions and the hydrogen economy

Led by ORU-Fogar and Regions4

Attendance: Mairi McAllan MSP, Minister for Environment and Land Reform, Scottish Government; Rachid el Abdi, President of ORU Fogar and of the Regional Council of Rabat Salé Kénitra, Morocco; Laurent Wauquiez, President of the AIRF and of the Auvergne Rhône Alpes Regional Council, France; Iñigo Ansola Kareaga, Managing Director of Basque Energy Entity; Ariel Scheffer, Superintendent of Environmental Management of ITAIPU Binational, Brazil; Albert Ballbé, responsible for Hydrogen Strategy, Department of Business and Labour, Catalonia, Spain; Gianna Elisa Berlingerio, Director of the Department of Economic Development of Puglia Region, Italy

• Under2 Coalition: Net Zero Futures Policy Forum Reception

Wednesday 16 November 2022 - “Hearing the voice of subnational governments: Learning from the Edinburgh Declaration for biodiversity”

Attendance: The Minister; Benoit Charette, Minister for Environment the fight against climate change wildlife and parks, Quebec; and David Ainsworth, Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

Other speakers included:

• Lorent Merle, Deputy Director of International Relations, French Office for Biodiversity, France
• Sergio Graf, International Coordinator of Climate Action and Representative of the Constitutional Governor of the State of Jalisco, Mexico
• Gail McGregor, Spokesperson for Environment and Economy, COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities)
• Roby Biwer, Member of the Bettembourg Municipal Council, Luxembourg; Member of the European Committee of the Regions
• Marieke Schouten, Alderman of the municipality of Nieuwegein, The Netherlands; Member of the European Committee of the Regions
• Eduardo Trani, Under Secretary of the Environment of the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil

• International climate and gender: ambition and action from COP27

Minister Mairi McAllan gave opening remarks followed by Jan Beagle, Director General of the IDLO, they were then joined on the panel with Sandra Isingizwe, a youth activist from the Loss and Damage

The Scottish Government shared the cost of a pavilion and office with the Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) at a total cost of £227,383.

Scottish Government held two receptions at the ICLEI pavilion during COP27. The First Minister held a reception to officially open the pavilion, engaging with key stakeholders and setting out ambitions for the conference. The Minister for Environment hosted a further reception to welcome Under2 Coalition members and to sign the joining agreement to the Net Zero Futures Policy Forum – an Under2 Coalition initiative co-chaired by Scotland. £1,050 was spent on the U2 stakeholder engagement reception.