Overview:

Human activity has caused the rise in the global temperature we see today. Throughout history, the effects of human activity on our climate have caused negative impacts on the planet (such as biodiversity loss, land degradation, rising sea levels, warmer oceans, etc.). Global scientists and leaders worldwide are extremely concerned about climate change and the effects of human activities. At the United Nation’s second World Climate Conference in 1990, it was stated that climate change was a global problem that required a global response. This sparked the creation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change(UNFCCC). The UNFCCC was created in 1992 to help alleviate dangerous human interference with the climate system, which sovereign states worldwide could sign up as members. These members, or parties, now hold an annual Conference of Parties (COP) to brainstorm solutions to the climate crisis. 

This conference is known as COP (Conference of the Parties). Meaningful climate change discussions occur at COP and international climate policies such as the Paris Agreement. The 27th annual Conference of the Parties is from November 7th-18th this year in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Each conference is named COP, and then the following number signifies what conference it is; for example, this year is the 27th annual Conference of the Parties, so it is called COP27. 

EARTHDAY.ORG is organizing the first-ever education-focused pavilion at the COP 27 Climate meetings in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2022. The pavilion will center and elevate the role of the education sector in addressing the climate crisis. To follow, pay attention to our website. 

Lesson Plan

    Following the overview, the section details the objectives of the materials. After reading and completing this packet, students will be able to…

    • Explain what COP is
    • Identify the stakeholders who organize COP
    • Express why COP is important
    • Identify who attends COP
    • Identify the importance of youth participation at COP

    In 1995, the first Conference of the Parties (COP) was held in Berlin, Germany. The primary purpose of COP is to review the national communications and emission inventories and make decisions about monitoring and reviewing the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The location and presidency of COP change every year. They rotate among the five recognized UN regions (Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Central and Eastern Europe ). This year, it is in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, and the president is Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt. This year, the president hopes to “showcase unity against an existential threat that we can only overcome through concerted action and effective implementation).” This year the focus is to tackle four primary goals: mitigation( limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius), adaptation (adaptation was one of the significant outcomes of COP26), finance (make progress on climate finance ), and collaboration (ensure participation from all stakeholders). According to the IPCC, we need to decrease our global emissions in half by 2050 to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius. Therefore, COP27 aims to achieve climate policy shifts to reach this goal.

    Policies that have been passed at previous COPs are the following:

    Kyoto Protocol
  • Set binding emission targets for developed countries that have ratified it
  • Agreed in 1997

    Buenos Aires Plan of Action
  • Allowing a two-year period to develop mechanisms for implementing the Kyoto Protocol

    Delhi Ministerial Declaration
  • Called for developed countries to transfer technology to developing countries

    Bali Action Plan
  • Negotiate Greenhouse Gases (GHG) mitigation actions
  • Did not require binding GHG targets for developing countries

    Copenhagen Accord
  • Recognized the need to limit the global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius
  • Countries were asked to pledge voluntary GHG reduction targets

    Paris Agreement
  • Reduce global warming (temperature) below 2 degrees Celsius
  • A 5-year cycle of climate action
  • Agreed in 2015

    Climate policy is a response to climate change that holds everyone accountable for their emissions and sets regulations by scientific findings. In the United States, federal climate policy is the set of actions taken by the US federal government to address and mitigate the effects of climate change.

    EARTHDAY.ORG is presenting the first-ever climate education hub to spread climate literacy and environmental education awareness. The current lack of climate literacy worldwide is a social problem contributing to the climate crisis. Climate literacy is the key to fast-forwarding solutions to climate change; it will help create jobs, build a green consumer market, and allow citizens to engage with their governments in a meaningful way to solve climate change. Lastly, COP is a great place to advocate for climate literacy policy to be implemented worldwide.

    Youth are leading the climate literacy campaign, and November 10th is Youth and Future Generations’ Day. What is determined at COP will affect child youth in the future; they are important stakeholders and must be a part of the conversation. Omnia El Omrani is the official COP27 Youth Envoy; the Youth Envoy is in charge of promoting the inclusion of youth and youth organizations.

    Students should be broken into small groups (2-3 students per group) and create a visual representation of the importance of climate action. Students should refer to the activities conducted earlier with their classmates and watch a video about COP26 Youth Day.

    Teachers should provide each group with the following materials:
  • A sheet of paper
  • Crayons, coloring pencils, or watercolors
  • Pencils
  • A cup of water (optional)

    Join us virtually ( live on Instagram, YouTube ,or Facebook) at COP27 as we urge global leaders to address climate literacy worldwide. Use the information gathered from both COP27 activities to create and write a letter to your local government about ways to solve the climate literacy issue at your school or globally. Click here to read about EARTHDAY.ORG is presenting the first-ever climate education hub to spread climate literacy and environmental education awareness. Lastly, sign the climate literacy petition and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) .