The key decisions and climate pledges made at COP28

The two-week-long COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), concluded on 13 December after talks went beyond schedule as member nations debated how to address fossil fuels in the summit’s final text. UAE’s Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 president, stated in the conference’s closing plenary that this year’s UN-sponsored summit saw a solid action plan to keep global warming to the goal 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels set in the 2015 Paris agreement within reach. “It is a balanced plan that addresses emissions, bridges the adaptation gap, reimagines global finance, and addresses loss and damage.” It is constructed on shared ground. It is bolstered by inclusivity. And teamwork reinforces it," Jaber remarked. COP28, hosted by the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, mobilised a flurry of voluntary pledges in the lead-up to its landmark final deal calling for a “transition away” from fossil fuels. The two weeks of negotiations saw over $85 billion (Rs 70,83,47 crore) and 11 pledges and declarations committed to climate action, the COP28 presidency said Tuesday. Here are some of the biggest developments. Loss and damage COP28 saw the launch of the “loss and damage” fund to help vulnerable countries cope with the increasingly costly and damaging impacts of climate disasters. The fund reached around $792 million (Rs 66,00 crore) in pledges during the talks, according to the COP28 presidency. That still falls short of the $100 billion (Rs 83,33,50 crore) a year that developing nations have said is needed to cover losses from natural disasters and rising seas. [caption id=“attachment_13502622” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] United Nations Climate Chief Simon Stiell, from left, COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber and Hana Al-Hashimi, chief COP28 negotiator for the United Arab Emirates, pose for photos at the end of the COP28 UN Climate Summit, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. AP[/caption] Meanwhile, the Green Climate Fund, focused on supporting developing countries in their climate action, saw a boost of $3.5 billion (Rs 2,91,67 crore) to its second replenishment, with a $3 billion (Rs 2,50,00 crore) promise from the United States. Tripling renewables One hundred and thirty-two countries committed to tripling renewable energy capacity worldwide by 2030 and doubling the annual rate of energy efficiency improvements. The pledge was included in the final outcome of the talks in a substantial win for its supporters. Fossil fuels The Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) picked up more than 10 new members during the talks — including the US and the UAE. Over 80 per cent of OECD and EU countries are now committed to the alliance. **Also Read: From 'phase out' to 'transitioning away': The COP28's new proposal on fossil fuels** Colombia became one of the largest fossil fuel producers to join the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, a movement led by climate-vulnerable island nations to end new development of coal, oil and gas. More than 100 cities and subnational governments also came together to call for the treaty, but they were ultimately dismayed. “Having the words ‘fossil fuels’ in the text is an important political signal, but it’s a far cry from the ‘historic’ outcome we were all calling for,” said the initiative’s Executive Director Alex Rafalowicz, in a statement Tuesday. Tripling nuclear More than 20 countries led by the US called for the tripling of the world’s nuclear energy capacity by 2050. While nuclear generates almost no greenhouse gases, the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011 dealt it a severe blow. [caption id=“attachment_13502612” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Mitzi Jonelle Tan, of the Philippines, centre left, embraces Adriana Calderon Hernandez, centre right, and other activists at the end of a protest against fossil fuels during the COP28 UN Climate Summit, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. AP[/caption] But experts and activists point to the fact that new nuclear plants can take decades to come online, while building renewable energy is significantly faster. Food and farming Nearly 160 countries agreed to prioritise food and agriculture systems in their national climate plans. The non-binding declaration was welcomed by observers, with food systems estimated to be responsible for roughly a third of human-made greenhouse gases. But some criticised it for lacking concrete goals — and for not mentioning fossil fuels or signalling any shift to more sustainable diets. Healthy future Over 140 countries signed a declaration to “place health at the heart of climate action”. It called for governments to step up action on climate-related health impacts like extreme heat, air pollution and infectious diseases. **Also Read: Who is Licypriya Kangujam, the 12-year-old Indian activist who protested at COP28?** Almost nine million people a year die from polluted air, while 189 million are exposed to extreme weather-related events. Cooling pledge More than 60 nations committed to reducing emissions of energy-guzzling cooling equipment — such as air conditioners and refrigerators — by at least 68 per cent globally by 2050. The voluntary pledge also aims to provide more sustainable cooling measures for an additional 3.5 billion people struggling with rising temperatures. UAE climate investment fund The UAE said it was putting $30 billion (Rs 24,99,90 crore) into a new private climate investment fund. The fund, called Alterra, would partly try to focus on climate projects in the developing world, and hoped to stimulate investments totalling $250 billion (Rs 2.08 lakh crore) by 2030. With inputs from AFP