Dubai Hosts The Annual COP28—Here's A Quick Look At What's On The Agenda

Once a year, the nations of the world come together and the fate of our planet hangs in the balance. The United Nations Climate Conferences, or COPs, have been shaping the climate narrative since their inception in 1992. From landmark agreements to treaties taut with geopolitical strife, the annual conference serves as a critical international stage where nations grapple with the shared challenges of preserving our planet’s future. 

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History Of The Climate Conference

The climate conference can be traced back to the Earth Summit of 1992, where the nations of the world came together in Rio de Janeiro to address growing concerns of climate change. In the three decades since the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was launched in Rio, the member parties to the convention have met annually to assess the state of the climate. 

Each year, delegates from nearly every country convene to negotiate global goals for tackling climate change, presenting their individual countries’ plans for meeting those goals, reporting on their progress, and potentially creating new international legal collaborations. 

Key milestones include the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, a groundbreaking agreement that set legally binding emission reduction targets for developed countries. Subsequently, the Paris Agreement of 2015 emerged as a landmark accord, bringing nations under a common umbrella to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2100. These conferences have not only defined the trajectory of global climate policy but have also been instrumental in fostering a sense of urgency and collaboration among nations. 

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COP28

From November 30 until December 12 2023, representatives from nearly 200 countries will come together to coordinate global climate action for the following year. Held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), COP28 will be yet another attempt at fostering decisive global cooperation to combat climate change. Much like preceding years, the host country not only provides the backdrop for the conference but also sets the initial tone and direction for the discussions ahead. 

Situated in a region where heat is extreme, water is precious, and oil is king, the UAE is a perfect example of a nation whose future will be determined by climate change. 

Once world leaders have departed, ministers and high-level officials representing various countries will embark on eight days of negotiations. Perhaps preemptively called an “inclusive COP,” the conference will see the first Global Stocktake conclude, highlighting just how far the world is from reaching its ambitious Paris Agreement target.¹ In keeping with themes of inclusivity, it will also be critical for delegates to address issues of environmental justice, ensuring that vulnerable communities are not disproportionately affected by the consequences of climate change or the measures taken to combat it.

It will also focus on further developing a carbon market, as well as continuing to financially flesh out the remnants of last year’s conference proceedings, which included an agreement to establish a global loss and damage fund to provide financial assistance to vulnerable nations suffering from the worst of climate change. Talks will also be centered on strategies for ramping up renewable energy production and cutting greenhouse gas emissions. 

Controversy At The COP

While the discussion points for the conference are contentious enough, one area that officials have never been able to agree on is the phasing out of fossil fuels. The path to this particular COP has already revealed a significant conflict of interest. 

One issue casting a shadow over the conference is the commercial interests of the region, which comprises some of the largest fossil fuel exporting countries in the world. Sultan al-Jaber, the president of COP28, is himself the head of a leading oil company, and news broke before the start of the conference that Emirati officials attempted to use their position as climate summit hosts to lobby for new oil and gas deals around the world.²

The host country isn’t the only participant facing accusations of greenwashed intentions—the U.S. is set to produce record amounts of oil and gas this year, despite the government’s highly championed environmental agenda. Citing concerns of war in the Middle East and Europe to contend with, Biden himself will be absent from the conference, along with the leaders of China and Russia—tallying up to three of the world’s five largest emitters.

Call To Action: Louder Than Ever

According to the New York Times, about 70,000 people and more than 100 world leaders are expected to be in attendance at COP28, including King Charles III, President Emmanuel Macron of France, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.³

In the face of pressing climate challenges, a resounding call to action echoes around the world. From activists to politicians to everyday voters, the power of collective voices has the potential to steer the course of COP28 and influence the decisions made by the delegates. Whether you’re participating in negotiations or reading the headlines at home, we must all continue to demand transparency, accountability, and genuine commitment from world leaders.

What You Can Do 

• Get started by reading about Montreal Protocol, an international treaty that led to the protection of the ozone layer.
• Explore the World Resource Institute’s COP28 Resource Hub to stay up to date on the latest news from the negotiations. 
• Follow #COP28 on Twitter for nearly live coverage from the conference.