Many Filipinos will wake up today not knowing that in a place called Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt, a very important two-week event called COP 27 has started, shaping up as perhaps the most consequential gathering of world leaders that will determine the future of this planet and the lives of the most vulnerable. The 110-million plus Filipinos, ironically, are part of this most vulnerable segment. And yet, again, majority of us are not even aware of COP27, which has far-reaching consequences, especially to the future generations. COP27, short for Conference of Parties, is the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference. It opened last Nov. 6, 2022 and will conclude on Nov. 18. The Philippine contingent, composed of members from Congress, various departments, and environmental groups, is led by Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga. During the opening remarks given by UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, he signaled that a “new era begins and we begin to do things differently.” “Paris (COP21) gave us the agreement. Katowice (COP24) and Glasgow (COP26) gave us the plan. Sharm El-Sheikh (COP27) shifts us to implementation. No one can be a mere passenger on this journey. This is the signal that times have changed,” Stiell said. This opening couldn’t be more appropriate as this year’s UN Climate Conference opens against a backdrop of extreme weather events worldwide, an energy crisis propelled by the war in Ukraine, and scientific data reiterating that the world is not doing enough to tackle carbon emissions and protect the future of the planet. We don’t need to look far to feel this climate crisis, as the country is still reeling from the devastating impact of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng. The importance of COP cannot be stressed further enough as it is not only the biggest and most important annual climate-related conference, but it brings together presidents, prime ministers, CEOs, climate advocates, scientists, researchers, media, etc. in one forum to do something concrete and immediate to address climate change. In the words of Stiell, plans are already done; it is now time for action. “The heart of implementation is ‘everybody, everywhere in the world, every single day, doing everything they possibly can to address the climate crisis,’” said Stiell. “There are those that are going forward, further, and faster than everyone else. These are examples to be followed. There are those who just need to be nudged into taking further action, to go beyond business-as-usual. There are others who need support so they’re able to do everything they possibly can for their countries and communities. And then there are those who still refuse to act unless others do. They will not be allowed to slow down our collective response. Let’s not let positioning block progress. All of us have to do everything we are capable of doing.” The opening of the COP27 bodes well as a lot of nations have recognized the urgency to address the climate crisis. Our country’s representatives will assert the call for bolder climate action and demand the delivery of what is due for developing countries. “(We) hardly produce any greenhouse gas emissions, yet (we) suffer the most and continue to bear the brunt of the adverse impacts of climate change,” said Loyzaga. As the days go by for COP27, we wait in anticipation for the outcome of various high-level meetings and negotiations. Will we be at the losing end? Or are we able to bargain well for the sake of the nation’s future? We only have high hopes for COP27.