What to watch at COP28 - 360
Reece Hooker
Published on November 21, 2023
Dubai is hosting the world’s biggest climate conference amid war, economic trouble and increasing climate challenges. Will the big talk translate into action?
The COP28 conference will kick off in Dubai’s Expo City on 30 November, helmed by Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber.
The world is well beyond the point of consensus that action on climate needs to happen and fast. But the task of translating the rhetoric into the action needed to keep global warming below the internationally agreed target of 1.5 degrees Celsius is a mighty one.
Early indications are promising. Even though US President Joe Biden is skipping the conference, his administration is working with China to broker a new climate agreement to follow their progress at COP27.
Looming over these crucial negotiations is the host country and its Gulf oil state allies. There is scepticism over anointing Al Jaber, a fossil fuels executive, as the lead delegate of a climate conference.
The Sultan espouses a commitment to resolving climate change and preaches the benefits of an “integrated approach” that brings oil and renewables to the table. COP28 will be an important flashpoint to put the claims to the test.
360info turns to the experts to provide an overview of COP28: what led to this moment, what might happen in Dubai and what it could mean moving forward.