Today's Edition
Shurooq Awad (Dubai) - The UAE is hosting the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at Expo City Dubai, starting on Thursday, November 30, through December 12.
COP28, which is expected to attract over 70,000 participants, including world leaders, non-governmental organisations, private sector representatives, indigenous peoples, and youth from around the world, is the largest international climate event. The conference aligns with the UAE’s visionary leadership, placing humans, life, and livelihoods at the core of climate action.
The UAE’s message at COP28, aimed at uniting the world to unite, act, and achieve, is garnering global attention. COP28 is expected to be a transformative moment for the world to unite around tangible climate action and present realistic solutions to the climate crisis, provided that civil society, governments, the private sector, and all parties work closely together to address the crisis.
Climate Pathways
COP28 offers a global opportunity to align views, return to the correct climate path, and make progress in preserving the possibility of limiting the Earth’s temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius and continuing the commitment to the goals and ambitions of the Paris Agreement.
The conference has several objectives, including accelerating the energy transition, achieving a 43% cut in emissions by 2030, and implementing more effective climate financing. Human Dimensions The choice of Expo City Dubai as the venue for COP28 extends the spirit of Expo and its deep humanitarian aspects. Expo 2020 provided a shining example of the potential to drive global efforts towards shaping a better future for humanity.
The design and size of the conference site enable it to serve as a comprehensive platform for dialogue, with dedicated spaces provided for accredited parties and observer delegates (the Blue Zone) and civil society organisations (the Green Zone). The Blue Zone at the COP28 site is managed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and is open to accredited parties and observer delegates.
This zone hosts official negotiations, discussions, cultural events, and activities throughout the two-week conference.
The Blue Zone is expected to witness world leaders, 199 parties (negotiators from 198 countries and the European Union), observers (NGOs, international governmental organisations, and UN agencies), and the media. Meanwhile, the Green Zone at COP28, managed and overseen by the UAE’s COP28 Presidency, serves as a platform for non-accredited delegates, including youth groups, civil society organisations, NGOs, the private sector, and indigenous peoples groups.
The Green Zone provides attendees with a platform to enhance inclusive dialogue and increase climate action awareness. Throughout the Green Zone, the COP28 Presidency also offers the private sector an opportunity to showcase its contributions and solutions to the global climate challenge. Their innovative methods, climate technologies, and entrepreneurship will form an important part of the conference.
This area will also host technical conferences, discussion panels, and activities, focusing on current and future solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change. Key Topics COP28 will commence after the official opening with the two-day Global Climate Action Summit.
During the summit, the COP28 Presidency will present the first response to the global stocktake to world leaders for their approval on the necessary commitments, to ensure supervision and monitoring. The agenda of the conference itself includes several days dedicated to special topics, some of which are featured for the first time at a COP, such as the allocated health, relief, recovery, and peace day.
COP28 will also hold a ministerial conference on health and climate for the first time in the history of COPs, and will be the first conference to focus on the role of trade and finance, bringing together leaders from the government and community levels, including local mayors and global leaders, to discuss joint cooperation to build more sustainable cities.
All events of the conference will establish an approach that ensures inclusivity, prioritising the needs of communities most vulnerable to the ramifications of climate change, and focusing on ways to achieve tangible progress through innovative financial and technological solutions.
COP28 Agenda by Day
November 30 will serve as the official opening of the conference, and December 1 and 2 will witness the Global Climate Action Summit.
December 3 is dedicated to Health, Recovery, Relief, and Peace, while December 4 is allocated for Finance, Trade, Gender Equality, and Supervision and Monitoring.
On December 5, attendees will discuss Energy, Industry, a Just Transition in the Energy Sector, and Indigenous Peoples.
December 6 will witness talks on Multilevel Action, Urban Expansion, Urban Environment, and Transportation, while December 7 will be a rest day for the conference.
The conference resumes on December 8, which will focus on Youth, Children, Education, and Skills. December 9 is allocated for discussions on Nature, Land Use, and Oceans, while December 10 will focus on Food, Agriculture, and Water.
The final negotiations will occur the last two days of the conference, December 11 and 12.
