COP28: Who is Attending, What Key Issues Will be Discussed at UN Climate Conference | EXPLAINED

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), the world’s seventh largest oil producer, will host the 28th UN climate change summit (COP28) in Dubai from November 30 to December 12.

The 28th round of the annual UN climate talks to be held in the UAE is anticipated to involve intense negotiations on compensation from rich countries to developing ones for climate impacts, fossil fuel usage, methane emissions, and financial aid for reducing planet-warming emissions and adapting to climate change.

The main task at COP28 is a first-time assessment of countries’ progress towards meeting the 2015 Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting the global temperature rise to “well below" 2 degrees Celsius, while aiming for 1.5 Celsius.

Who is Attending, Who is Skipping?

COP28, which begins on November 30, is expected to be attended by 167 world leaders, including King Britain’s Charles III and Pope Francis. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the annual climate change conference, underlying India’s commitment to the issue of climate change, the government said in a statement. PM Modi will be in UAE for two days from November 30 to December 1.

US President Joe Biden will not attend a gathering of world leaders in Dubai, a US official said last week. John Kerry, the US climate envoy and a former secretary of state and senator, will be leading the US team at the COP28 meeting along with two other senior official.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to attend the summit while King Charles will give the opening speech, along with the UN secretary general, António Guterres and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is also not expected to attend the summit. China’s climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and other high-level representatives are expected to attend.

Pope Francis will also attend the event along with the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

What Issues Would Dominate COP28?

Here is an overview of the issues expected to dominate the negotiations at COP28:

1. Loss and Damage: This COP will determine how to direct support to developing and poor countries that bear the brunt of the climate crisis, despite contributing little to it. At COP27 in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh last year, rich countries agreed to establish a loss-and-damage fund. However, the decisions on funding allocation, beneficiaries and administration were referred to a committee. A draft agreement arrived at earlier this month will be up for a final approval at the climate talks.
2. Climate Finance: Finance for energy transition, mitigation and adaptation in developing countries will take centre stage at the Dubai climate talks. According to a recent report by the United Nations, up to USD 387 billion will be needed annually if developing countries are to adapt to climate-driven changes. COP28 will also hold discussions on a new climate finance goal for the post-2025 period, which countries said should be in trillions and not billions.
3. Fossil Fuels: There is a mounting global push for a phaseout of fossil fuels — coal, oil and gas — which are the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for more than 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions. There has been resistance from fossil fuel-producing nations and companies who argue that they should be allowed to keep extracting oil and gas as long as they capture carbon emissions using sophisticated technologies, which experts say are “expensive and unproven".
4. Tripling of Renewable Energy Capacity: The International Energy Agency (IEA) says the world must triple its renewable energy capacity and double the rate of energy efficiency by 2030 to drive down demand for fossil fuels and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Led by the US, the European Union (EU) and the UAE, more than 60 countries now back a commitment to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency.
5. Side Deals: Apart from the official UN negotiations, governments and companies will be making their own announcements. The United Arab Emirates plans to launch a voluntary pledge from oil and gas companies to cut emissions, in a bid to bring the fossil fuel industry into the climate fight. Other initiatives set to be announced on the sidelines of COP28 include pledges to curb emissions of the greenhouse gas methane, limit emissions from air conditioning and restrict private finance for coal plants.

COP28 contradictions

While Dubai is gearing up to host the largest COP ever, it also comes with an unprecedented carbon footprint. At every COP, critics point to the number of flights taken by negotiators and NGOs and denounce private jets shuttling high profile attendees.

During COP27 held in Egypt last year, emissions linked to the international travel of 46,000 participants accounted for 44,104 tonnes of CO2, according to the organisers — or around one millionth of global annual emissions.

In Dubai, organisers expect more than 70,000 people in the conference’s “blue zone" designated for negotiators. But COP28 remains set to break records, with travel responsible for “70-80 percent of conference emissions" said Marc Halgand from the climate consultancy group EcoAct.

(With inputs from agencies)