The 28th Session of the UN Framework on Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC), namely, the Conference of the Parties 28 (COP28), was held between November 30 and December 12, 2023. It was held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It was attended by the representatives of about 200 countries. They negotiated on global goals for tackling climate change, presenting their individual countries’ plans in achieving those goals and reporting the progress. The annual climate conference, COP28, took some key resolutions on fossil fuels, methane emissions, funds to fight global warming, among others.
During the two-week period of the COP28, the host country, UAE, mobilised many voluntary pledges in the lead-up to its landmark final deal calling for a ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels. The two-week long COP28 had many negotiations of over US$ 85 billion and pledges and declarations that were committed to climate action. The COP28 closed with an agreement which signalled the ‘beginning of the end’ of the fossil fuel era by laying the ground for a swift, just and equitable transition, underpinned by deep emissions cuts and scaled-up finance.
A large number of developments were observed under the Global Climate Action Agenda.
The theme of the COP28 included fast-tracking the energy transition and slashing emissions before 2030, transforming climate finance, putting nature and lives of people at the heart of climate action, and mobilising for the most inclusive COP ever, etc.
Some Key Outcomes
First global stocktake The major outcome from the COP28 has been the decision Outcome of the First Global Stocktake, reducing global climate ambition by the end of 2030. Taking into account the Paris Agreement and the national circumstances of different countries, global efforts would be taken up by countries to achieve Global Climate Action Agenda by the end of the decade. The members unanimously agreed upon rapid decarbonisation of the energy system which is the key in order to achieve 1.5 °C within reach. The Global Stocktake would be a periodic assessment exercise which is mandated by the Paris Agreement, which would be undertaken from 2023 and would be done every five years thereafter.
The year 2023 assessment has confirmed that it would emerge as the hottest year ever. Several months of 2023 have set new temperature records. More than 80 days of 2023 happened to be at least 1.5 °C warmer than the pre-industrial times.
Fossil fuels One of the most important issues discussed during the COP28 was phasing out of fossil fuels. It was in the COP28 that the role of fossil fuels in causing global warming was acknowledged. COP28 called upon its member countries to contribute towards ‘transitioning away’ from fossil fuels in order to achieve net zero by 2050.
During the talks, 10 new members including the US and UAE were picked up by the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA). Over 80 per cent of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union (EU) countries are now committed to the alliance.
The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative (FFNPTI) is a movement led by climate-vulnerable island nations for ending new development of coal, oil, and gas. One of the largest fossil fuel producers, Colombia, joined the treaty initiative. Further, more than 100 cities and national governments joined the FFNPTI. In the COP28 agreement, coal has received a separate mention because coal was already singled out for phase down in the Glasgow Conference in 2021. It was stated that no new coal-fired power plants could be opened without an in-built carbon capture and storage facility. However, this move was strongly objected to by several countries including India, China, and South Africa. Hence, this had to be dropped from the declaration.
Even though there is a lean possibility on curbing the production and consumption of fossil fuels in the near future, it is a major inevitable measure in the 2050 timeframe.
Creation of loss and damage fund At the COP27 conference in Sharm el-Shaikh, a decision regarding the setting up of a Loss and Damage Fund was taken; however, neither was it created nor was the amount of money promised. COP28 operationalised this fund on November 30, 2023. This move was welcomed by many countries, including the host country, UAE, and funding commitments were made by many countries. According to the COP28 Presidency, by the end of the conference, commitments worth about US$ 792 million were made. However, this is still short of US$ 100 billion a year, which had been committed to earlier, that would be needed by the developing nations to cover the losses from natural disasters and rising seas.
This money would be used for providing financial help to those countries which have been affected and which are trying to recover from climate-induced disasters.
In the meantime, the Green Climate Fund, which is focused on supporting the developing nations in climate action, saw a rise of US$ 3.5 billion to its second replenishment, with a US$ 3 billion promise from the US.
Global renewables and energy efficiency pledge Global renewable and energy efficiency pledge was endorsed by 130 national governments including the EU. The COP28 agreement called upon the member nations to commit themselves to tripling the global installed capacity of renewable energy. At the same time, it has also solicited the nations to double the annual improvements in energy efficiency. If these two measures are implemented and followed up properly then it has the potential to avoid emissions of about seven billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent between 2023 and 2030. This would be more than all the net result of all the other climate action plans that are currently undertaken. It is not obligatory for each country to individually triple its current installed capacity.
Global cooling pledge The global cooling pledge for the COP28 included 66 national government signatories committed to working together with the aim of reducing cooling-related emissions across all sectors by at least 68 per cent globally by 2050 relative to 2022 levels. This voluntary pledge is aimed to provide more sustainable cooling measures for an additional 3.5 billion people struggling with rising temperatures.
There are 37 national government participants of the Mutual Recognition of Certification Schemes for Renewable and Low-Carbon Hydrogen and Hydrogen Derivatives. These countries would work towards mutual recognition of their respective certification schemes on low-carbon hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives.
Declaration to triple nuclear energy This declaration has a goal of tripling nuclear energy capacity globally by 2050. It has invited shareholders of international financial institutions to encourage the inclusion of nuclear energy in energy-lending policies. It was endorsed by 22 national governments led by the US as nuclear energy generates hardly any greenhouse gases. However, experts feel that nuclear plants would take decades to come online and building renewable energy would be significantly faster.
Cutting down methane emissions COP28 agreement talked about “accelerating and substantially reducing non-carbon dioxide emissions globally, including in particular methane emissions by 2030”. Methane is the most widespread greenhouse gas which accounts for about 25 per cent of all emissions. Moreover, methane is about 80 per cent more potent than CO2 in causing global warming. Therefore, reduction of its emission would bring substantial benefits.
Many countries, including India, opposed to any mandate to cut methane emissions as one of the major sources happens to be agriculture and livestock. Cutting on methane emissions would involve many changes to be made in the agricultural patters which is cumbersome for a country like India. However, the agreement does not mention any targets for methane emission cuts for the year 2030. Meanwhile, about 100 nations had made a voluntary commitment in Glasgow, in 2021, to reduce their methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030.
Declaration on climate relief, recovery, and peace This declaration called for increasing climate action and access to finance for communities and countries affected by or threatened by fragility or conflict or those which are facing severe humanitarian needs. It is for strengthening knowledge and programmatic solutions for climate action in such settings. According to this declaration, there would be collaboration at multiple levels and across regions and humanitarian development, climate and peace actors for addressing the multi-dimensional challenges of climate change.
Declaration on climate and health The COP28 Presidency convened the first Health Day for strengthening the nexus between health and climate in the action agenda. It is a key part of people-focused resilience building. A total of 141 nations, including the EU, joined the declaration and committed to advancing the climate-resilient development, strengthening of health systems and the building of resilient and thriving communities.
Declaration on sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems, and climate action This declaration called for building a resilient food system that would adapt to climate change impacts. This is vital for people for securing their livelihoods. Some 153 nations, including the EU, agreed to this commitment. The declaration included scaling up adaptation and resilience to reduce vulnerability of all farmers, fisher folk, and other food producers to the impacts of climate change. The signatories also agreed upon promoting food security and nutrition by increasing efforts to support vulnerable people. The collective progress would be reviewed at COP29 to be held at Azerbaijan in 2024.
COP28 Joint Statement on climate nature and people The COP28 Presidency along with its initiatives and coalitions and endorsing member countries affirmed its commitment to strengthening its efforts to work collaboratively and expeditiously for pursuing its common objectives. The member nations agreed to foster stronger synergies, integration and alignment in the planning and implementation of national climate, biodiversity, and land restoration plans and strategies. They also agreed upon scaling of finance and investments for climate and nature from all sources. Furthermore, the members agreed upon ensuring the full, equitable, inclusive, and effective representation and participation of indigenous people, women, girls, youth, and other vulnerable communities in the planning implementation of climate and biodiversity plans. Further, encouraging coherence and interoperability across data sources and data collection, methodologies and voluntary reporting frameworks for climate change.
Inference and Way forward
The COP28 Summit had more than 170 announcements, including pledges and declarations, publication and reports, new initiatives, and progress and updates. The COP28 Presidency launched the Net-Zero Transition Charter: Accountability Mobilization for the Private Sector, encouraging organisations to make public net-zero emissions pledges and targets. Progress reports of a number of existing initiatives were published to present their achievements and challenges. A compilation comprising 2030 Climate Solutions: an Implementation Roadmap, with a set of solutions framed in specific actions with insights from stakeholders on effective measures, is to be undertaken.
At the COP28, there was an enhanced transparency framework for a new era of implementing the Paris Agreement. It was also decided during the conference that Azerbaijan would host the COP29 from November 11 to 22, 2024, and Brazil would host the COP 30 from November 10 to 21, 2025. Reflecting the scale and urgency of climate challenge, governments are expected to establish a new climate finance goal at the COP29. It was agreed by the members that at the COP30, countries must be prepared to present their new nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that are economy-wide. The presentations are expected to cover all greenhouse gases and are fully aligned with the 1.5 °C temperature limit.
Exclusion of Afghanistan from COP28
COP28 excluded Afghanistan from the summit as no foreign government has formally recognised Taliban leadership, and it does not have a seat at the UN General Assembly. This is the third year in a row that Afghanistan has been left out of UN climate negotiations despite being grappled with worsening drought and floods. Foreign officials have cited the Taliban’s restrictions on women as the reason for current isolationist policies, particularly because it has barred girls and women from high school and universities. The Taliban administration has called the country’s exclusion from the COP28 regrettable.
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