EU broadens its green partnerships at COP27
On 6 November, the COP27 in Sharm El-Sheik officially opened its doors. In his first introductory speech, UN Secretary General António Guterres warned that the world is facing the “fight of our lives” and called for a greater effort to implement the agreements made at the Paris COP.
As the world leaders engage in discussions and the work of the international conference proceeds, the EU is ensuring a series of bilateral agreements concerning different topics. Moreover, the bloc remarked that the European answer to the global fossil fuel crisis is REPowerEU which will not not just cut its dependencies but it will massively accelerate the roll-out of renewables.
Commission President Von der Leyen signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, officially establishing the beginning of a strategic partnership which includes economic and industrial collaboration in the field of raw materials, refined materials, and hydrogen. A similar memorandum has been signed with Namibia as well. The partnership with the African country include adding local value by supporting the development of the mining and renewable hydrogen value chains and ensure European investments to modernise the Namibian industry. Other points of the memorandum stress out the collaboration in capacity building along the raw materials supply chain, cooperation on research and innovation and regulatory alignment. A similar MoU is expected to be signed with Egypt, increasing the pool of reliable partners that the EU is seeking amidst the energy and resource crisis.
Additionally, the EU has signed five MoUs for a Forest Partnership with Guyana, Mongolia, the Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Zambia. These Memorandums contribute to the international dimension of the EU Green Deal. They are also an integral part of the holistic cooperation framework the EU envisaged to protect valuable carbon sinks across the globe. The Partnership will ensure sustainable forest management and incentivise legal trade of timber and derivative products.