Comprehensive plan for COP28 sent to all delegates
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At the end of November world leaders will gather in Dubai for the COP28 meeting. This major international gathering will take stock of how likely we are to meet our Paris Agreement commitments towards tackling climate change.
Dubai’s Sultan Al Jaber will be the President-Designate of COP28 and this week he sent his outline of what his ambitions are for the gathering. His role has caused controversy in some quarters because he is also the head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, a position which critics say is a clash of interests. However, the sultan is also the head of Masdar, a renewable energy company, and he has a wealth of experience at previous climate summits.
Six weeks before COP28 begins, Sultan Al Jaber has sent a letter to world leaders and other attendees setting out what he wants to achieve from the meeting.
In the opening lines of the document, the Sultan sets the tone by talking about the various climate emergencies the world has faced over the past year. He goes on to note how ‘mounting climate impacts are destroying lives and livelihoods in every corner of our world’.
The paragraphs following should be music to environmentalists’ ears and soothe the nerves of those who thought he might pander to the oil industry. He says: ‘As COP President Designate, I am asking you for your help to ensure that we can deliver a comprehensive plan of action at COP28 and meet the level of ambition the world needs. I therefore call for your partnership, your collaboration, and your leadership.’
He continues with some hard-nosed science: ‘The latest science from the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report highlights that we are way off track from pathways consistent with keeping 1.5°C and the Paris Goals within reach. The report and real-world impacts underscore the need for us to turn ambition into action and to replace rhetoric with real results. We need to think bigger and implement quicker to reduce global emissions by 43 per cent relative to 2019 levels by 2030, radically scale up climate financing, and engage in enhanced adaptation action to build resilience and avoid irreversible impacts.’
He also asks for countries to step up with new pledges and plans to address a lack of funding for aiding hard-hit countries. Other big statements include a commitment to zeroing out methane emissions by 2030, and dramatically increasing investments in clean energies.
But, read deeper and there are a few things that might raise eyebrows among environmental lobby groups. Perhaps the most glaring of these is his request for a ‘responsible phase down of unabated fossil fuels’. It’s likely that many might see this phrase as open to interpretation as to how far a government goes toward reducing dependency on fossil fuels.
COP28 will take place between 30 November – 12 December 2023.
