Mike Morrice returns from COP27 in Egypt

By Brandon Maher

The United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP27, is an annual event attended by representatives from more than 190 countries.

Kitchener Centre MP Mike Morrice returned from the second half of this year's conference held in Egypt.

He called it a 'very different vibe' than the previous climate conference in Glasgow, citing the estimated 60,000 political prisoners being held in Egypt.

Morrice said the experience was a 'mixed bag'. 

The local representative highlighted one positive outcome, which was an agreement made to help countries in the global south deal with climate change. 

He was not as impressed by the fact that leaders at the conference made no commitment to phasing out oil and gas.

Even still, Morrice said he is not dissuaded by the bureaucracy of the climate change summit, because while it may not be perfect, it is all we have to fight climate change.

“It is a flawed process,” said Morrice. “We aren't moving fast enough. But it's the only one we've got, and in my view, hope is an action, and it's going to take all of us continuing to act.”

Morrice added that critiques of the outcome are absolutely appropriate, but the summit is a critical place to push for the urgency required.

He stressed that if the opportunity allows it, he will attend next year's conference as well.

Morrice is the only Member of Parliament, along with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault, to attend both this year's and last year's climate conferences. 

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