COP27, a two-week-long summit to address global climate change reduction efforts, kicked off in Egypt this weekend. The summit includes 198 countries signed onto the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. This focal point of this summit is expected to be financing environmental protection efforts in the midst of a number of global economic strains, from rising energy costs stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine to supply chain disruptions exacerbated by the pandemic.

Key Quotes: Hoesung Lee, U.N. chair for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, called the present moment a “a once in a generation opportunity to save our planet and our livelihoods.” Facing economic difficulties at home, many industrial countries are balancing inflation and energy costs with the 2009 U.N. pledge to provide $100 billion per year for developing countries' climate-mitigation efforts. NPR quoted Amar Bhattacharya saying, “The challenge is going to be, how do we maintain momentum when there are so many short-term crises and pressures, and yet the climate crisis is intensifying?”

For Context: President Joe Biden is expected to appear at the summit after the midterm elections this week. The Paris climate accords, which the U.S. recommitted to in 2021, were ratified at COP21.

How the Media Covered it: Coverage of the summit’s opening was mild, mostly from outlets on the left. Coverage of the midterm elections is dominating headlines across the spectrum.