As the world gathered for COP27, dubbed the “Implementation COP,” the focus was clear: moving from promises to tangible actions. Held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, this conference represented a crucial moment for the global fight against climate change. In this blog, I’ll share my reflections on the outcomes of COP27, how it compared to previous COPs, and the ever-pressing dilemma of reducing carbon footprints.
For a broader perspective on what was my experience there, I encourage you to check out these articles:
The Outcomes of COP27: Successes and Shortcomings
One of the most notable achievements of COP27 was the agreement to establish a loss and damage fund. This is a significant step for vulnerable countries disproportionately affected by climate change. However, many questions remain: who will contribute to the fund, and how much will be allocated? Countries like China, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia fall into a grey area—are they considered developing or should they pay?
Despite this progress, COP27 failed to make notable advancements in its implementation program to cut emissions faster. There was limited progress on ensuring that emissions peak by 2025, which is essential if we are to limit global temperature rise to 1.5ºC. Compared to COP26 in Glasgow, the language used regarding coal phase-outs was stricter, but it still lacked the urgency many had hoped for.
My Personal Reflections: Lessons from the Ground
Participating in COP27 was a fascinating experience. The event highlighted how the world comes together in the name of a common good but often gets entangled in self-interest. From the early hours of closed-door negotiations to the public-facing discussions, there was a palpable tension between what’s good for the planet and what’s advantageous for individual countries. The sheer division of priorities across nations was evident.
Moreover, aother debated aspect of any COP event is the carbon footprint to bring everybody to such a massive event. Thousand of delegates, representatives, and participants. It’s a bit of a paradox—flying to climate summits while aiming to reduce emissions. In this section, I’ll dive into a comparison of the carbon footprints of COP25, COP26, and COP27, analyzing the impact of travel and other factors that contributed to the emissions of each conference. By looking at the numbers, we can better understand how the logistics of these events evolve and what changes might be necessary moving forward.
A Carbon Footprint Analysis: Comparing COP25, COP26, and COP27
(Please, feel free to contact me in the case you wish to see more details about the calculation procedure)
I will start first by defining where these COPs were held and how many people did they gather:
| COP edition | COP25 | COP26 | COP27 |
| Location | Madrid (Spain) | Glasgow (UK) | Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt) |
| Participants | 26,700.00 (published) | 40,000.00 (published) | 35,000.00 (published) |
CNBC, published in 2021 a study reporting the carbon footprints of the COP26 and COP25, providing the distribution of the carbon footprint from COP26 between International flights and accomodation. Taking this study as a reference I have been able to estimate the carbon footprint impacts in COP27.
| COP edition | COP-25 | COP-26 | COP-27 |
| Tons of CO2 emitted | 51,101.00 (published) | 102,500.00 (published) | 67,812.50 (calculation) |
| International flights | 60% (I assume same as COP-26) | 60% (published) | 60% (I assume same as COP-26 and directly proportional to number of participants*) |
| Accomodation | 40% (I assume same as COP-26) | 40% (published) | 40% (I assume same as COP-26 and directly proportional to number of participants**) |
**This value is being corrected in next tables according to the energy efficiency of each country
(Source: CNBC)
The estimate for accomodation was corrected to take into consideration the differences in the energy efficiency of each country according to ACEEE.
| COP edition | COP25 | COP26 | COP27 |
| Location | Madrid (Spain) | Glasgow (UK) | Sharm el-Shiekh (Egypt) |
| Country energy eff. | 0.660 | 0.725 | 0.315 |
After this slight correction, the carbon footprints were recalculated obtaining next results:
| COP edition | COP-25 | COP-26 | COP-27 |
| Tons of CO2 emitted | 75698.48 | 102500.00 | 148177.58 |
| International flights | 30660.60 | 61500.00 | 53812.50 |
| Accomodation | 45037.88 | 41000.00 | 94365.08 |
Finally, results per participant were provided:
| COP edition | COP-25 | COP-26 | COP-27 |
| Tons of CO2 pp | 2.84 | 2.56 | 4.23 |
| Intern. flights pp | 1.15 | 1.54 | 1.54 |
| Accomodation pp | 1.69 | 1.03 | 2.70 |
Notably, while COP27 had fewer participants than COP26, it had a higher carbon footprint per person. Is it to say that the logistical challenges of hosting in a more remote location like Sharm El-Sheikh, which likely required more flights and different accommodation needs was not even considered.
Energy efficiency in different countries also played a role; Egypt’s energy score, according to the ACEEE international scorecard, was 0.315, significantly lower than that of the UK or Spain.
Final Thoughts: The Climate Change Dilemma
As we look forward to future COP events, it’s clear that addressing climate change isn’t just about cutting emissions—it’s also about tackling deep-rooted issues of equity and fairness. Who pays for the damage? Who benefits from climate finance? And how do we ensure that developed and developing nations work together in a way that’s equitable and effective?
COP27 has reminded us that while progress is possible, it’s often slow and uneven. The path forward requires global collaboration, but it also demands that we hold nations accountable for their commitments.
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