COP28: The biggest climate event poised to fight global chaos and record heat

Climate change is a pressing global crisis that requires international cooperation and concerted efforts by all, including individuals of all ages, disciplines, and nations.

The United Arab Emirates is approaching hosting the COP28 conference from November 30 to December 12, 2023.

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the main decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), bringing together the 198 parties that have signed the Convention (197 states along with the European Union) and their negotiators. It has been held annually since 1995, and the United Arab Emirates hosts its twenty-eighth session.

The first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) was held in Berlin, Germany, in March 1995, and the secretariat of the UNFCCC is headquartered in Bonn.

The conferences of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) hold annual conferences under the auspices of the Convention’s secretariat, the venue of the formal meeting to negotiate and agree on how to address climate change, reduce emissions, and reduce global warming.

A key function of the COP is to examine national reports and emissions data submitted by participating states, which provide background information on each state’s actions and its progress towards achieving the overall objectives of the Convention.

The Conference of the Parties (COP) meets every year, unless the parties decide otherwise. The five recognized United Nations regions (Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe, and Western Europe) rotate for the presidency of the Conference. This rotation ensures that the conference is hosted by different parts of the world and demonstrates commitment to addressing climate challenges.

What is COP28, hosted by the UAE?

The COP28 will be held from November 30 to December 12 at Expo Dubai. It will be a critical milestone, combining the world’s efforts around effective climate action and providing solutions that require cooperation between civil society, governments, industries, and all sectors of the economy, according to UAE news agency WAM.

COP28 is one of the largest and most important international gatherings in 2023 and enjoys the follow-up and attention of many from around the world.

As the world’s largest decision-making process on climate issues, more than 70,000 people, including heads of state, are expected to participate in building consensus and making tangible progress in the negotiating process between parties and delegations, thousands of non-governmental organizations, the private sector, corporations, youth, and stakeholders, among others.

United Nations Framework Convention

The UNFCCC secretariat is the United Nations entity charged with supporting the global response to the threat of climate change.

The secretariat was established in 1992, when the United States adopted the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The secretariat’s original headquarters were in the Swiss capital, Geneva, but it has since moved to the German city of Bonn.

The secretariat initially focused on facilitating intergovernmental negotiations on climate change, but today it plays a crucial role in supporting various bodies to implement the objectives of the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement, including providing expertise, analyzing parties’ climate change data, assisting in the implementation of Kyoto Protocol mechanisms, and maintaining the nationally determined contribution register established under the Paris Agreement.

The Secretariat also organizes and supports multiple negotiating meetings each year, including the conferences of the parties.

Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement

On December 11, 1997, at the third conference of the parties in the Japanese city of Kyoto, developed countries pledged to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This treaty, known as the Kyoto Protocol, is a legally binding agreement that entered into force in 2005, was signed by 192 parties, and is a landmark stop in the fight against climate change.

The 2015 Paris Agreement was adopted at COP21, one of the most prominent United Nations-led multilateral climate action stations, with the aim of mobilizing the collective effort of the parties to preserve the possibility of avoiding a rise of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels by 2100 and to adapt to the already existing implications of climate change.

The agreement calls on states to review their commitments every five years, provide funding to developing countries to help them mitigate the effects of climate change, support their adaptability, and enhance climate resilience.

The frequency and severity of climate events are expected to increase in the coming years unless we take decisive action to limit global warming.