In the wake of a year marked by unprecedented heatwaves, devastating floods, and raging forest fires, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), one of the world’s largest oil-producing countries, is hosting the global climate summit, COP28. This raises the question: what does the world expect from this summit?
COP28, the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), begins on Thursday, November 30, 2023. The UAE’s role as the host and its position as a major oil-producing nation has sparked controversy. This was further fueled by the appointment of Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of one of the world’s largest oil companies, as the COP28 president. His selection was described by U.S. climate envoy John Kerry as “fantastic,” but it has also attracted criticism. More than 130 legislators from the European Union and the United States have signed a public letter warning of potential negotiations being hindered under his presidency.
COP28 will discuss several critical issues, ranging from addressing agricultural emissions and food security to adapting to extreme weather phenomena amid rising global temperatures due to fossil fuel burning. Three key issues expected to dominate the discussions are loss and damage, significant commitments to emissions reduction, and the gradual phasing out of fossil fuels.
Loss and Damage Fund The concept of “loss and damage” dates back to 1991, proposed by the Alliance of Small Island States during climate negotiations in Geneva. It included a plan for insurance against rising sea levels, suggesting that industrialized countries bear the costs. However, serious discussions on this topic only began in 2013 at COP19 in Poland with the establishment of the International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts. Despite the passage of time, little progress has been made in this area. Developed countries, historically responsible for the majority of emissions causing global warming, have previously resisted the idea of creating a fund for loss and damage, fearing it would hold them accountable for all climate-related extreme weather events.
A 2018 study estimated the losses for countries vulnerable to climate change could reach between $290 billion and $580 billion by 2030.
Harjeet Singh, the Head of Global Political Strategy at the non-profit Climate Action Network International, based in Bonn, Germany, stated in an interview with DW that the most vulnerable developing countries to the effects of rising global temperatures have not taken sufficient action to reduce fossil fuel emissions contributing to climate change. He highlighted that wealthy countries, responsible for approximately 80% of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, bear the primary responsibility for the climate crisis.
COP28 in Dubai is a significant event where these pressing issues will be at the forefront of global climate discussions.
In the wake of a year marked by unprecedented heatwaves, devastating floods, and raging forest fires, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), one of the world’s largest oil-producing countries, is hosting the global climate summit, COP28. This raises the question: what does the world expect from this summit?
COP28, the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), begins on Thursday, November 30, 2023. The UAE’s role as the host and its position as a major oil-producing nation has sparked controversy. This was further fueled by the appointment of Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of one of the world’s largest oil companies, as the COP28 president. His selection was described by U.S. climate envoy John Kerry as “fantastic,” but it has also attracted criticism. More than 130 legislators from the European Union and the United States have signed a public letter warning of potential negotiations being hindered under his presidency.
COP28 will discuss several critical issues, ranging from addressing agricultural emissions and food security to adapting to extreme weather phenomena amid rising global temperatures due to fossil fuel burning. Three key issues expected to dominate the discussions are loss and damage, significant commitments to emissions reduction, and the gradual phasing out of fossil fuels.
Loss and Damage Fund The concept of “loss and damage” dates back to 1991, proposed by the Alliance of Small Island States during climate negotiations in Geneva. It included a plan for insurance against rising sea levels, suggesting that industrialized countries bear the costs. However, serious discussions on this topic only began in 2013 at COP19 in Poland with the establishment of the International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts. Despite the passage of time, little progress has been made in this area. Developed countries, historically responsible for the majority of emissions causing global warming, have previously resisted the idea of creating a fund for loss and damage, fearing it would hold them accountable for all climate-related extreme weather events.
A 2018 study estimated the losses for countries vulnerable to climate change could reach between $290 billion and $580 billion by 2030.
Harjeet Singh, the Head of Global Political Strategy at the non-profit Climate Action Network International, based in Bonn, Germany, stated in an interview with DW that the most vulnerable developing countries to the effects of rising global temperatures have not taken sufficient action to reduce fossil fuel emissions contributing to climate change. He highlighted that wealthy countries, responsible for approximately 80% of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, bear the primary responsibility for the climate crisis.
COP28 in Dubai is a significant event where these pressing issues will be at the forefront of global climate discussions.
As the world faces escalating climate crises marked by extreme weather events, COP28 in Dubai becomes a pivotal platform for addressing these challenges. Hosted by the United Arab Emirates, a major oil-producing country, COP28 carries significant weight and expectations.
During the previous COP27 summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, nations agreed to establish a “Loss and Damage” fund to support poorer countries affected by climate change. This move was welcomed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who emphasized the need for its activation in the coming period. However, he acknowledged that this step alone wouldn’t be sufficient but served as a much-needed political signal to rebuild eroded trust.
At COP28, participating nations face the challenge of reaching an agreement on contentious issues, especially regarding the beneficiaries and contributors to the fund and its management. The hosting of the fund at the World Bank, as proposed by an interim committee representing both developing and developed countries, has raised concerns among developing nations about potential dominance by wealthy countries.
The committee recommended against making payments under the fund legally binding, urging developed countries to increase financial allocations to bolster the fund’s capital. However, civil society organizations expressed concerns over the recommendations’ strength, particularly regarding holding developed countries accountable for paying for losses and damages.
Emissions Reduction Commitments In 2015, 195 countries reached a historic agreement in Paris to limit global warming, with mandatory commitments and increased financial aid for the Global South. Nations pledged to keep global temperature rise “below 2 degrees Celsius” and “pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius.” Despite these commitments, 2023 is on track to be the hottest year on record. COP28 marks the first “international assessment and review” of each country’s progress in reducing emissions under the Paris Agreement.
This assessment process, which began in 2021, includes collecting and analyzing data on governments’ climate action plans and emissions reduction efforts. A UN report released in September 2022 warned that many countries are still far from the right path to keep the Earth habitable, with time running out rapidly. The report emphasized the need for countries at COP28 to intensify efforts to decarbonize quickly.
Phasing Out Fossil Fuels Despite long-standing recognition of fossil fuels’ role in exacerbating climate change, many countries have not committed to ceasing oil or gas burning. A recent UN report found that some oil-rich countries plan massive expansions threatening the “carbon budget.” Over the years, COP summits have not formally committed to an outright halt in fossil fuel use. Only at COP26 in Glasgow did governments agree to a “gradual reduction” of coal, without committing to a “complete phase-out.”
As COP28 unfolds, there is cautious optimism among environmental activists that new recommendations in the September UN report will bring the issue of phasing out fossil fuels to the forefront. The report calls for expanding renewable energy reliance while relentlessly phasing out all forms of fossil fuels.
