What is Cop28?
It’s the 28th annual UN climate conference – or Conference of the Parties (COP). This is where UN member states assess progress and commit to climate action. First held in Berlin in 1995, this year it’s Dubai’s turn. The event started on 30 November and will run until 12 December.
Who is attending?
No fewer than 70,000 people are expected to descend on Dubai for Cop28. That includes world leaders, scientists, journalists, business executives, NGOs and activists such as Vanessa Nakate, indigenous youth activist Txai Surui and even the Pope.
More controversial guests are fossil fuel lobbyists who are putting pressure on negotiators to apply the brakes to climate action. Research published this week by a group of green groups reveals that a record number of fossil fuel delegates (2,400) will attend Cop28. Critics, among them climate activist Greta Thunberg, say this makes a mockery of the summit.
Why is Cop28 so important?
The world is facing a “hellish” 3C of global heating, the UN has warned. If we don’t do something, we’re on track to make swathes of the Earth uninhabitable. The average global temperature briefly crossed the 2C danger threshold for the first time in 2023, a year set to be the hottest on record, as heatwaves, floods and droughts take hold, affecting millions across the globe.
To avoid such warming, we need to reduce emissions by 43% by 2030, so this year’s COP is pivotal. After 28 years of foot-dragging by decision-makers, activists are calling for fast-track action and firm outcomes on everything from energy transition (renewable energy needs to be tripled), to climate finance and equity.
Why hold such an important climate event in Dubai?
As one of the world’s top oil-producing nations, hosting Cop28 in the UAE has sparked widespread criticism from environmental groups. Appointing Sultan Al Jaber as president of the talks is also highly controversial considering he is also CEO of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc).
The decision to appoint him backfired at the weekend after he was reported telling attendees of an event that there was “no science” to suggest phasing out fossil fuels will help limit global warming to 1.5C. He also claimed that doing so would take the world “back into caves”. Al Jaber since claimed his comments were misrepresented and that he believes in the science.
Meanwhile, new data from the Global Oil and Gas Exist List has shown that Adnoc has the largest expansion plans of any oil company in the world. Despite this, some – such as US climate envoy John Kerry – claim Al Jaber’s position makes him well-placed to drive the change required. That remains to be seen.
