The COP28 summit is scheduled to take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from November 30 to December 12, 2023. COP28 stands for Conference of the Parties 28. It is the 28th annual United Nations (UN) climate meeting where governments will discuss how to limit and prepare for future climate change. The summit is expected to be attended by more than 70,000 delegates, including member states of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), business leaders, young people, climate scientists, Indigenous Peoples, journalists, and various other experts and stakeholders.
The primary objective of COP28 is to identify global solutions for limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, helping vulnerable communities adapt to the effects of climate change, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Discussions at COP28 need to make progress in several workstreams, including hammering out the details of the loss and damage finance facility to help vulnerable communities deal with immediate climate impacts, driving towards a global goal on finance that would help fund developing countries’ efforts in addressing climate change, accelerating both an energy and a just transition, and closing the massive emissions gap.
According to the United Nations, greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut by 43% by 2030, compared to 2019 levels, to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, including more frequent and severe droughts, heatwaves, and rainfall. COP28 must be a turning point by acknowledging the central role of fossil fuels in the climate crisis and working towards a phase-out agreement. Additionally, there should be a significant increase in financial support from developed nations to the Global South for transitioning to renewable energy.
It is hoped that COP28 will help keep alive the goal of limiting long-term global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This was agreed by nearly 200 countries in Paris in 2015. The 1.5 degrees Celsius target is crucial to avoid the most damaging impacts of climate change, according to the UN’s climate body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
In conclusion, the COP28 summit is expected to be a significant event in the fight against climate change. The summit aims to identify global solutions for limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, helping vulnerable communities adapt to the effects of climate change, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. COP28 must be a turning point by acknowledging the central role of fossil fuels in the climate crisis and working towards a phase-out agreement. The world must take immediate drastic measures to address climate change before it is too late.
Mahboob Azam 