COP27 Sharm el-Sheikh: Climate Talks Enter Deep Water on 'Loss and Damage'

The 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) took place in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, from November 6 to 20, 2022. Its most watched development: "loss and damage" funding arrangements entered the formal agenda for the first time — developing countries demanded financial compensation from developed nations for climate-caused harm, an agenda item of unusual negotiating difficulty and historic significance.

For conference interpreters, the evolution of climate-negotiation discourse means continuously updated knowledge: from "common but differentiated responsibilities" to "nationally determined contributions", from "climate finance" to "loss and damage" — every core concept has strict official renderings and subtle political meaning. Interpreters must not only translate accurately but understand the negotiating positions behind the concepts — a professional depth machine translation cannot reach in the near term.

The conference also continued the hybrid format: numerous side events opened to global online audiences, with remote interpreting and on-site SI working in coordination. Full SI coverage in the UN's six official languages remains the infrastructure on which the conference runs.

Climate negotiation is the best window onto international conference interpreting: the highest-level occasions always choose the most professional interpreters.