Sultan Al Jaber, President of the COP28 climate conference, told the gathered nations in Dubai that they need to step out of their comfort zones and work together during the negotiations to reach a final agreement before the two-week conference concludes. In his opening remarks as the summit enters its toughest negotiation phases, he stated, "Please, let us accomplish this task." He added, "I would like you to assist and I need you to move beyond your comfort zones. I ask all of you to please be flexible and truly engage in our deliberations and discussions."
Ministers from various countries joined the discussions on Friday, with only five days remaining until the conference ends on December 12. A solution has yet to be found regarding how nearly two hundred participating countries in the UN climate conference (COP28) will address the contentious issue of fossil fuels, which is the primary source of emissions driving global warming. At least 80 countries are calling for an agreement to eliminate their use entirely. Such a stance from nations would be unprecedented after three decades of UN climate conferences that have never tackled the future role of fossil fuels.
Meanwhile, Eastern European countries are working hard to resolve the issue of where to hold the COP29 summit next year after Russia declared it would prevent any EU member from assuming the presidency of the conference. Canadian Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault remains optimistic about reaching an agreement. He remarked, "I trust that we must leave Dubai and COP28 with some agreements on fossil fuels. Even if it is less than what some would hope for, it will remain a historic moment."
Simon Steele, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, passionately urged countries, reminding them that science supports the global goal of keeping temperature rise at 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Steele, a Grenadian national, said, "Keeping temperature rise within 1.5 degrees Celsius is a realistic limit from a planetary perspective, not just an option." He continued, "Exceeding 1.5 degrees means we are likely to irreversibly lose ice sheets," along with a ten-meter rise in sea levels and the extinction of coral reefs that sustain the world’s fish stocks. He added that temperatures could reach extreme levels, putting "two billion people in areas beyond human capacity, posing a threat to life."
As of Friday, some candidates, including Azerbaijan, have offered to host the event, with Moldova and Serbia also proposing to take the presidency in rotation.
