What is COP28 that PM Modi will be attending?

The Earth has recorded its hottest year on record. Last week, it crossed the two-degree warming limit, albeit briefly. The world’s largest glacier is on the move. And climate change is to blame for all. No longer can we turn a blind eye to the climate crisis; we are running out of time to fix the disaster. This is why the focus on the annual international climate summit by the United Nations is increasing year after year. Some of the top leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Pope, are heading to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in early December for COP28. The meeting, where world leaders discuss dealing with climate change, has been contentious. Solutions are not always easy to come by. Will this year be any different? We take a look at why the world’s most important climate conference is hit by controversy and what we can expect this year. What is COP28? COP stands for the Conference of the Parties, where the “parties” stand for 197 states and a regional economic organisation. They gather once a year to discuss plans to limit climate change. The original UN climate agreement was signed in 1992. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was a treaty to curb the alarming rise of pollution, which causes global warming. [caption id=“attachment_13436972” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A view shows the ‘Cop28 UAE’ logo on a globe, during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), in Abu Dhabi, UAE. More than 160 member nations, including India, the UK, France, Germany and Japan, will participate in the UN climate conference. File photo/Reuters[/caption] The first COP was held in Berlin in 1995 and member states have been convening every year since. One of the most critical climate conferences was held in 2015. At COP21, more than 190 countries approved the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius but preferably to 1.5 degrees . COP28 is the 28th meeting and will be held in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December. Also read: The world crosses 2-degree warming limit for first time: What does it mean? Why is COP28 controversial already? The UN rotates where COP will be held every year. The UAE bid for it and it was backed by other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Turns out, the UAE is one of the world’s top 10 oil-producing countries. Oil is a fossil fuel like coal and gas. These are one of the main causes of climate change as they release greenhouse gases when burned to produce energy. That’s not all. The president of the COP28 talks is Sultan Al Jaber, the chief executive of the state-owned oil company. The firm plans to expand production capacity, according to a report in the BBC. [caption id=“attachment_13436982” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Sultan al-Jaber, head of state oil giant ADNOC and UAE climate envoy, speaks during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) under the theme of ‘United on Climate Action Toward COP28’, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on 16 January 2023. He is president of the COP28 talks to be held in Dubai from 30 November. File photo/Reuters[/caption] Critics say that is a conflict of interest to have the head of an oil company lead such a critical climate summit. Eric Njuguna, a climate justice organiser from Kenya said that Jaber’s dual role was a conflict of interest and called on him to resign. “It is a stab in the back for poor countries to have a fossil fuel CEO on top of efforts to constrain the climate crisis,” he said. “It is the equivalent of appointing the CEO of a cigarette company to oversee a conference on cancer cures,” campaign group 350.org said. However, in an interview with The Guardian Jaber defended his position. He said that he would bring a “business mindset” to the talks and was uniquely placed to push for action from the oil and gas industry. He pointed to his role as co-founder of the Masdar renewable energy company in UAE. Also read: COP28: Why India's role is pivotal in climate justice and finance What will be discussed at COP28? The framework signed in 1992 agreed to “protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of humankind” but it didn’t discuss how. These are the talks that take centre stage at the COP summits. According to the UN, the goal of the annual conferences is to determine “ambition and responsibilities, and identify and assess climate measures”. At the meeting, countries are expected to discuss and agree on the next measures to cut greenhouse gases causing climate change.

When it comes to climate action, results are visible mostly in the long term. Earlier in the month, UN chief Antonio Guterres listed out some of the focus points for this year’s meet. They include: Global stocktake: Every five years, members who signed the 2015 Paris Agreement are expected to “take stock” of the goal set in Paris. Jennifer Allan, who reports on climate negotiations for the International Institute for Sustainable Development’s Earth Negotiations Bulletin, was quoted as saying by CBC News that the stocktake is supposed to look at “where are we, in terms of reducing emissions and building resilience to climate change and supporting developing countries”. The exercise has been carried out over the last year and its findings will be discussed at the gathering in Dubai. The review will lay the groundwork for ambitious actions countries must take going forward, activists hope, says a report in The New York Times. [caption id=“attachment_13437012” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Activists hold an anti-fossil fuel protest at the pre-COP28 climate conference, in front of the United Nations building in Bonn, Germany, on 7 June. Reuters[/caption] Loss and damage: There is a possibility that nations will finalise the “loss and damage” fund , which was created at last year’s COP in Egypt. While it is meant to provide financial aid to countries damaged by the impact of climate change, no money has been put into it. At the Dubai meeting, the questions of who will contribute to the fund and who will benefit from that money are likely to be resolved. Pollution fossil fuels: The UN is asking for countries to commit to phasing out all fossil fuels , with a clear time frame aligned to the 1.5 C Paris limit. This has been a contentious issue and countries are reluctant to phase down or phase out fossil fuels, especially coal. This issue is unlikely to be resolved in Dubai. Trippling renewable energy: The total installed capacity of renewable energy resources is a little less than 3,400 GW. The aim is to triple it by 2030. It is expected to be discussed at the conference in Dubai. Apart from this, there will be themed days with a focus on health, finance, food and nature. [caption id=“attachment_13437022” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] A general view of Expo City and the Al Wall Dome is seen in Dubai, on 27 November. Representatives will gather at Expo City from 30 November to 12 December for the 28th UN Climate Change Conference. AP[/caption] Who will be attending COP28? Heads of state and governments will attend the summit and deliver speeches on the first days. More than 160 member nations, including India, the UK, France, Germany and Japan, will be there. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the summit from 30 November to 1 December, underlying the country’s commitment to the issue of climate change, the government said in a statement. “Climate change has been an important priority area of India’s G20 Presidency… COP-28 will provide an opportunity to take forward these successes,” it added on Sunday. Pope Francis will be the first pontiff to attend the climate conference. And King Charles, who is an advocate of climate causes, will deliver an address at the opening ceremony. UK prime minister Rishi Sunak and the newly appointed foreign secretary (and former PM) David Cameron will be attending.

If we believe in the capacity of human beings to transcend our petty interests and to think on a grand scale, we cannot give up on dreaming that #COP28 will lead to an acceleration of the energy transition. This Conference can be a turning point.

— Pope Francis – ARCHIVE (@Pontifex266Arch) November 27, 2023

Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will be at the summit. Leaders from major oil-producing countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Syria, Russia and Iran, are among those attending, reports CNN. US president Joe Biden will not be at COP28. It is unlikely that China’s Xi Jinping will attend. More than 36,000 delegates, which include negotiators, observers and the media, will be at the gathering, according to the United Nations climate body. The Emirates presidency said it expected about 70,000 to attend events. With inputs from agencies