We have an adaptation roadmap: Egypt launched the global Sharm El Sheikh Adaptation Agenda (pdf) for collective adaptation action, in partnership with the UN climate change high-level champions — the world’s first comprehensive roadmap set to lay out a shared set of adaptation actions to meet by the end of this decade. Adaptation strategies will span food and agriculture, water and nature, coasts and oceans, human settlements, and infrastructure — and include proposed action for the all-important areas of planning and finance, the statement notes.

Methane and adaptation were the main focus of policy talks at COP27: 150 countries signed a pledge to reduce methane pollution, the US and EU announced during the climate summit. The US also unveiled a plan to cut methane emissions from its oil and gas industry to 87% below 2005 levels by 2030, as it looked to cement its leadership in the fight against climate change during the summit.

There was a boost for the transition to zero-emission vehicles: France, Spain and several corporations joined a pledge to stop sales of gasoline-run vehicles by 2035, according to a statement.

A host of other, smaller Africa-focused initiatives emerged: From the Aware (Action for water adaptation and resilience) initiative — which helps address water related challenges and solutions in water scarce countries — to the Waste 50 by 2050 Initiative, which aims to raise the recycling rate of African waste to 50% by 2050.

FOSSIL FUEL PHASEOUTS HIT A STALEMATE

The final agreement only carried forward the agreement made in COP26 to take steps towards “the phasedown of unabated coal power and phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.” The debate on fossil fuels was heated during the summit, with developed countries increasingly pushing for a transition away from the energy source while developing countries in Africa and the Gulf vocally supported a slow, low-emission transition to renewables that relies on natural gas in order to meet energy demands.

Not much was done to reduce emissions and “keep 1.5°C alive”: The emissions-reduction plans submitted ahead of COP27 take less than 1% off projected global emissions in 2030, the Independent writes, adding that this is a far cry from the 43% we need to cut to hold temperature increases to the 1.5°C limit set out by the Paris Agreement. Only a handful of countries — including the EU and Turkey — submitted new plans to reduce emissions during this year’s summit.