This year's COP28 has been met with fierce debate even before it's begun. With its many controversies, let's talk about why you should pay attention to the conference that starts today, Nov. 30, anyway.
The issues
The BBC reported the United Arab Emirates planned to use its role as the host of UN climate talks as an opportunity to strike oil and gas deals. The report contains leaks of documents including objectives for meetings between foreign government representatives. The choice to have the UAE, and the CEO of UAE’s state oil company Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, host this year’s COP28 has received significant criticism for its long-held status as a major fossil fuel exporter.
It’s easy to feel like this year’s COP28 is hopeless or purely a performance of greenwashing, but since the creation of COP, significant monetary agreements and geopolitical negotiations have been made to curb climate change and its effects.
For example: A Loss and damages fund was made in COP27 industrialized countries pledged to support ~$100bn in support of developing countries most impacted. This was considered a major change for balancing the impacts of climate change between the Global South and main contributing nations like the United States and Saudi Arabia. The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero made during COP26 enabled 450 corporations with over $130 trillion of private capital to accelerate the transition to a net-zero economy.
As we head into COP28, what efforts do you want to see put in the spotlight?
Sources:
The BBC, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67508331 AL Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/29/cop28-president-denies-uae-using-un-climate-talks-to-seek-oil-deals AL Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/30/cop28-dubai-what-were-the-gains-of-past-five-un-climate-summits