Reflection

The COP27 Conference took significant steps to help countries currently fighting climate change’s impacts. The most prominent outcome of COP27 was the loss and damage fund that countries agreed to create. Without getting into all the technicalities, this fund is supposed to help prevent climate disasters, while supporting countries struggling with climate disasters. Some preventative measures include providing countries with early warning systems and emergency preparedness kits. Moreover, COP27 focused on two main themes: the time to act is now, and the biggest polluters must pay for their emissions.

First, it is time to act now because many countries are not on track to meet their emissions targets set under the Paris climate agreement. Additionally, many leaders at COP27 discussed how some countries have either stopped cutting or created more emissions because their elected leaders decided not to abide by the Paris Climate Accord.

While the second theme focused more on countries such as the US and China paying their fair share regarding items such as the loss and damage fund. This is because many countries impacted by climate change believe that the US and China should have to pay more financially to the fund. After all, they are the biggest polluting countries. Though the COP27 was able to create the loss and damage fund successfully, it was not able to get countries to agree to further cutting emissions to keep alive the aspirational goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to pre-industrial levels. While the loss and damage fund was created, many

world leaders were not truly satisfied with the COP27 Conference because they believed that countries could have done more to limit emissions.

The UN Secretary-General set out three significant goals he hoped would be achieved at COP27; however, only one was achieved. His three goals were:an agreement on loss and damage, closing the emissions gap and delivering finance to developing countries. But unfortunately, countries could only agree to the loss and damage fund.

What this Means for the SJES:While COP27 managed to create the loss and damage fund, the UN Climate Change Conference did not go as far as many had hoped. The mission continues for SJES. The SJES must continue to promote ecological justice and challenge others to do their part in caring for the environment.

Additionally, as it currently stands, COP27 could not get countries to agree to limit their emissions further, which will lead to more climate disasters. Though the nations gathered at COP27 could not commit to limiting their emissions, the SJES should commit to cutting its emissions and challenge its partners and other Jesuits to cut their emissions. This will allow the SJES and mission partners to serve as an example to others.

Furthermore, due to the inability to reach an agreement on cutting emissions, the SJES will likely be confronted with more questions and problems dealing with combating climate disasters and helping those fleeing climate disasters. Besides, this could eventually lead to a climate migration issue in which people flee their home country because it is no longer inhabitable.

Overall, the actions taken at COP27 will not change the message or the beliefs of the SJES, but there is the potential that they will alter how the SJES can render aid to those in need. By failing to reach substantive agreements on the environment, countries at COP27 not only failed to address an ecological crisis but also, they likely created a social justice crisis.