The first sign of COP27 logistics trouble came back before the Bonn sessions, when out of the blue, hotel contracts and bookings (some fully paid for) were summarily cancelled with no notice because a new minimum price had supposedly been set… at double the price. We should have asked more questions when in the first (pretty awful) logistics briefing in Bonn, COP27 hosts presented Sharm El-Sheikh as a wonderful tourist destination, with swimming, sea-adventures, great weather and good food. (P.S. we learned today that people are STILL being kicked out of their hotels even now unless they pay more money than the already highly inflated rates).
Since the first day of COP, the rosy picture presented in July did not materialise (a bit like the US$100bn for climate mitigation and adaptation that was supposed to be delivered two years ago). It is evident that the organizers at COP have priorities, which is not to ensure that delegates (who have paid a fortune to attend COP, or to host a pavilion at COP) have their needs met in a timely manner. Flies infest the COP space, so today, ECO met an official fly smacker. Yes, literally, someone walking around smacking flies! So that just leaves a few other things to sort out.
Having affordable food for delegates must be up there. Well, at least having food at the very least! From anecdotal evidence, only one, maybe two Grab and Gos have been working since the start of COP, while most were still under construction well into week one. There is “good” news on that front too: you can wait from an hour to up to 90 minutes in a queue for food, and there is a very good chance when you get to the front of the queue, there will be no food or drinks available. But at least the stands are built. If there is something available, you have to be prepared to pay an exorbitant amount for very little.
Those organizations lucky enough to have pavilions have their own troubles. First, it was an unbelievable lack of information and outrageous prices to navigate before even arriving in Sharm El-Sheikh. Three days after COP started, many pavilions were still building sites. Those who were lucky enough to have a complete structure waited days for water dispensers, lecterns, coffee machines, even branding. The problems with audiovisual equipment and service needs a whole negotiation work programme on its own. For those (lucky?) people unable to attend COP in person, the Virtual Platform has proved next to useless in providing live feeds of negotiations. This is particularly troubling for a COP where there is so much interest from so many who can’t be here in person. The inability to listen and engage online with the events here in Egypt is a huge opportunity missed.
The catering service is totally inadequate, with shocking service, and ECO hears that many delegates are gearing up for the fight that may be getting their refunds for food and drinks not delivered.
The poor conference infrastructure and service extends to negotiating rooms, which are either too small, too cold, or too noisy. Not only observers, even the negotiators are having a hard time securing seats and are often left queuing outside.
Some toilet containers were still being built when COP started, and some enterprising delegates even brought their own toilet paper – out of necessity. Soap is also in short supply.
This isn’t trivial or frivolous. The tens of thousands of people who have come to Sharm El-Sheikh have done so often at great personal expense and understanding that it is not without impact. We’re simple people who need decent internet, food, water, toilets, and plugs to charge our devices, in order to make this climate summit a success, and secure real and impactful climate action.
Finally, things came to a head and spilled over last night. Surprised delegates, leaving the conference centre, were faced with a running river of sewage. It ran from inside the conference centre all the way down the street and around the corner to where the COP buses are. This gives new meaning to “overflow areas”. If the pictures and pleas of the delegates and observers don’t get the attention of the COP27 Presidency, perhaps the smell will.