In preparation for the COP27 climate meeting in November, African ministers of finance, economy, and the environment gathered this week in Egypt. Egypt, the host nation, aims to play a leading role by ending unmet commitments that have left African nations disproportionately suffering from climate change.

"Egypt should take on this position to plainly and unambiguously express the demands of the African continent: although we were not responsible for these emissions, we are nonetheless harmed, along with our people and natural resources. At this moment, the world community needs to take a stand and declare that everyone has a responsibility to uphold their duties under the Paris Agreement ", according to Egypt's environment minister Yasmine Fouad.

Despite producing just around 3% of the world's CO2 emissions, the continent of Africa is disproportionately impacted by increasingly severe droughts and floods. As a long-standing target to invest $100 billion year starting in 2020 on assisting vulnerable states with climate change adaptation goes unfulfilled, funding to support poorer countries in reducing their emissions and bolstering their resilience will be a crucial flashpoint at COP27.

According to the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the event this week in Egypt intends to "exploit African leaders' voices to mobilize stronger international assistance for a green and resilient recovery in Africa." Additionally, it aims to raise money to support vulnerable nations' efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

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