UPDATED: The world is watching us, says COP27 president, eyeing climate deal

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Nov 14 (Reuters) – Egypt’s COP27 President Sameh Shoukry told the climate summit on Monday that he wanted a comprehensive climate deal with “meaningful outcomes” agreed by Friday and reminded delegates that the world was watching the talks.

“Our common objective is to adopt consensus decisions and conclusions on Friday that will constitute comprehensive, ambitious and balanced outcomes of the Sharm el-Sheikh conference,” he told delegates.

“It is now up to us all here to rise to the occasion and respond to the demands and calls from our communities around the world. We will accept no less than meaningful outcomes at COP27.

“Time is not on our side and the world is watching. Let us come together and deliver now.”

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday heaped pressure on G20 nations to work together to slow global warming, saying their action, or inaction, would dictate the fate of the planet.

Guterres was speaking on the Indonesian island of Bali ahead of the annual Group of 20 summit hosted this year by Indonesia, a week after warning a U.N. climate conference in Egypt that the world was “on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.”

Guterres has proposed a ‘Climate Solidarity Pact’, under which developed economies make additional efforts to limit rising global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius while providing financial and technical help to speed emerging economies’ transition to renewable energy sources.

“G20 leaders can make or break the Climate Solidarity Pact,” Guterres said.

“Action – or inaction – by the G20 will determine whether every member of our human family has a chance to live sustainably and peacefully, on a healthy planet.”