Dubai is currently hosting COP28, the annual United Nations climate conference. COP, or the Conference of the Parties, is where UN member states meet to assess their progress and make commitments to climate action. This year, over 70,000 people are expected to attend, including world leaders, scientists, business executives, NGOs, and activists. Notably, many fossil fuel lobbyists are also in attendance, putting pressure on negotiators to slow down progress on climate action.
The urgency of this year’s COP cannot be overstated. According to the UN, the world is facing a “hellish” 3C of global heating and could make large areas of the Earth uninhabitable if we don’t take action soon. To avoid such warming, we need to reduce emissions by 43% by 2030. This year’s COP is pivotal because after 28 years of talks, activists are calling for action and firm outcomes, particularly with regards to renewable energy, climate finance, equity, and a phase-out of fossil fuels.
The fact that Dubai, one of the world’s top oil-producing nations, is hosting the conference has sparked widespread criticism from environmental groups. However, Sultan Al Jaber, the CEO of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, was appointed as president of the talks. This decision has raised controversy, but some, like US climate envoy John Kerry, argue that Al Jaber’s position makes him well-placed to drive the change required.
COP28 will address several critical topics, such as the global stocktake, which will be assessed for the first time since the 2015 Paris agreement. Negotiators will also debate phasing out versus phasing down fossil fuels and climate finance, specifically how to address the continued financing of the global loss and damages fund. Finally, the conference will prioritize discussions around food systems and agricultural transformation, as they contribute to one-third of all human-generated greenhouse gas emissions.
The clock is ticking, and if we don’t act fast, the consequences of inaction will be disastrous. Success at COP28 will hinge on whether governments respond to the Global Stocktake report not with words but bold new commitments that steer humanity from our current destructive path
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