Dr. Aitazaz Farooque presented his research at COP27 in Egypt
Dr. Aitazaz Farooque, interim associate dean of the UPEI School of Climate Change and Adaptation recently attended the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC), “COP27.” It was the 27th United Nations Climate Change conference, held from November 6 to 18, 2022, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
COP27 brought together more than 45,000 participants to share ideas, solutions, and build partnerships and coalitions. Indigenous peoples, local communities, cities, and civil society, including youth and children, highlighted how they are addressing climate change and shared how the issue impacts their lives. The Global Climate Action space at COP27 provided a platform for governments, businesses, and civil society to collaborate and showcase their real-world climate solutions.
One of the highlights of the event for Dr. Farooque was speaking at an event organized by the World Federation of Engineers, the Engineering Institute of Canada, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The theme of the event was “The Global Engineering View: Delivering an Equitable, Sustainable and Low Carbon Resilient World.” His talk was titled “Development of Climate Smart Technologies to Ensure Food Security and Mitigate Climate Change: A Sustainable Approach.” He also participated in a panel discussion organized by these organizations and represented the UPEI’s Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation.
“It was a great experience to be presenting at the COP27,” said Dr. Farooque. “I also had the opportunity to meet with the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister for the Environment and Climate Change for Canada. We had a good discussion about the research being conducted at the Canadian Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation.”
In addition to this event, Dr. Farooque also served as a panelist on a session titled, “The Interchangeable effect of Education, Research, and Climate Change.” This panel discussion was organized by the Universities of Canada in Egypt, which he also had the opportunity to visit, including the UPEI Cairo Campus.
Dr. Farooque also attended various sessions and events to expand his knowledge around adaptation, mitigation, and resilience strategies to combat the issues associated with climate change. He met with a number of colleagues from different countries to explore collaboration opportunities and to debate important topics.
COP27 resulted in countries delivering a package of decisions that reaffirmed their commitment to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The package also strengthened action by countries to adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change, as well as boost the support of finance, technology, and capacity building needed by developing countries.
