The 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, "COP28," is gaining increasing global attention as it will take place from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai. The world has high hopes and aspirations for this conference to establish radical and realistic solutions to accelerate global climate action and tackle the "climate emergency," which is increasingly impacting the planet day by day. The focus will be on reducing emissions, mitigating the effects of climate change, assisting countries in adapting to these changes, and providing a significant boost to international efforts aimed at fulfilling commitments and obligations to address climate change.
The risks of climate change to progress and development are escalating worldwide due to the alarming increase in the Earth's temperature and the intensification of natural disasters. Thus, the global effort to avoid surpassing a 1.5 degrees Celsius increase in temperature, as stipulated by the 2015 Paris Agreement, requires rapid and ongoing actions across all aspects, including energy, industry, and the sustainability of buildings and cities, to reduce harmful emissions while meeting the significant increase in energy demand expected from the rising global population.
During "COP28," the UAE will lead efforts to align opinions and coordinate global actions to achieve these goals, aiming to triple the global renewable energy production capacity by 2030 and ensure that all countries adopt the commitment put forth by the UAE and over seventy other states to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. They seek to stimulate collective action to transform food systems into sustainable ones and encourage nations to seize these opportunities to advance climate action, emphasizing nature-based solutions.
The "National Sustainability Campaign," launched in parallel with preparations for "COP28," serves as an ideal platform to raise awareness of sustainability initiatives and projects in the country. The campaign aims to spread awareness of environmental sustainability issues, encourage community participation, and support national strategies related to climate action, ultimately leading to an environmentally conscious society.
**Global Warning**
"COP28" holds added importance as it will respond to the first global assessment of progress made in implementing the Paris Agreement's goals. The conference is a crucial juncture for unifying visions and responding to scientific reports indicating the need to reduce emissions by 43% by 2030. It will mark a turning point in the global effort to tackle climate change challenges, increase financing, and elevate countries' ambitions and commitments to transform climate challenges into sustainable economic and development opportunities while enhancing global actions to mitigate climate change impacts.
The leadership plan for "COP28" is based on four pillars: accelerating an organized, fair, and responsible energy transition; developing climate finance mechanisms; protecting people and nature and improving lives and livelihoods; and ensuring full inclusion in the conference's operational framework.
**UAE Priorities**
The UAE has placed emission reduction at the top of its priorities alongside preserving natural resources. It aims to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030 and has quickly adopted significant initiatives paving the way toward climate neutrality, positioning itself as a global leader in implementing practical commitments to protect the planet from the threat of climate collapse. The Cabinet has approved over 78 initiatives to address climate change impacts and protect the environment.
The UAE has also called on countries to join the "Agricultural Innovation for Climate" initiative, co-led with the United States since its launch in 2021 with the aim of doubling investments in climate-smart agriculture, innovating, and supporting sustainable food systems globally. The initiative currently includes over 500 international partners with investments amounting to $13 billion to support climate-smart agricultural projects and innovative sustainable food systems.
**Ambitious Plans**
The presidency of the "COP28" conference focuses on achieving consensus on its action plan to address the impacts of climate change, aiming to return the world to the correct path toward achieving the ambitions of the Paris Agreement. It draws attention to the imbalance between mitigation and adaptation financing and urges the doubling of adaptation funding by 2025, transforming the global adaptation goal from theory and texts to tangible actions and real results. Additionally, it seeks early funding commitments for the loss and damage fund to assist the most vulnerable countries in recovering from the severe impacts of climate change they are already facing.
