The United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties or COP is a well-known global forum where world leaders work together on solutions to combat climate change. Organised by the United Nations (UN), the annual climate conference is gearing up for its newer version - COP28.
Here is all about the details we know so far about COP28.
Who is the host nation of COP28?
The United Arab Emirates would be hosting COP28 from November 30 to December 12 at the Expo City Dubai.
"As the first country in the region to ratify the Paris Agreement, the first to commit to an economy-wide reduction in emissions, and the first to announce a net zero by 2050 strategic initiative, the UAE is committed to raising ambition in this critical decade for climate action," the statement announcing UAE hosting the COP28 said.
COP is attended by world leaders, representatives of nations, preeminent scientists, and business leaders in order to discuss the state of global progress against climate change.
The New President
Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who has played a key role in shaping the country's clean energy pathway, will serve as the COP President for the first time.
Dr Al Jaber is the industry and advanced technology minister of UAE and has served as a special envoy for climate twice (from 2010 to 2016 and from 2020 till present). He has participated in over 10 COPs prior to this.
"He brings to this task two decades of executive business and leadership experience in government, climate policy and across the renewable and conventional energy sectors," UAE's statement said.
He is also the first CEO to ever serve as the COP President. "As the founding CEO of Masdar, he has overseen its mandate to accelerate the adoption of renewables within the UAE, across the region and globally. In his current role as CEO of ADNOC, he is spearheading decarbonising and diversifying the company’s operations and investments in a drive to make today’s energies cleaner, while investing in the clean energies of tomorrow," he said.
He would be developing the COP28 agenda, in partnership with Simon Stiell, the UNFCCC's executive secretary and Sameh Shoukry, the Egyptian COP27 President.
Expected Agenda
Dr Al Jaber believes that climate action is an immense economic opportunity for investment in sustainable growth. "Finance is the key that can unlock climate action and the UAE is committed to supporting and facilitating the review of the international financial institutions to scale up public financing, leverage private finance and improve access,” he said.
He added that the country would be realistic and have a solutions-oriented approach that delivers progress for the climate and low carbon economic growth.
Dr Al Jaber also said that COP28 would undertake the first ever Global Stocktake (GST) since the Paris Agreement.
"It will provide the foundation to build momentum for this and future COPs and the UAE will look for an ambitious outcome in response to the GST from the negotiation process. This will be a critical moment to mobilise political will to respond to what the science tells us will need to be achieved to remain on target and limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050.”
-With inputs from Reuters
(Edited by : Sangam Singh)
First Published: Jan 12, 2023 2:02 PM IST
