Recap: UNFCCC COP28 Begins in Dubai

The UNFCCC 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) began on November 30, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and will continue for at least the next two weeks. The COP28 Presidency gave a press conference early on, stressing on the significance of the increasing financial adaptation gap that would make it impossible for the world to meet the climate goals as outlined in the Paris Agreement. Emphasis was placed on the need for more private sector involvement, as the financing goal would be unattainable by public sector alone. The conflict of interest of the President Sultan Al Jaber and his involvement with the fossil fuel industry was also addressed, with speakers reminding the audience that the President is equally involved in renewable energy and was pivotal for introducing the International Renewable Energy Agency to the UAE, though the matter will likely continue to be a topic of intense debate for the duration of COP.

In a panel discussion moderated by Hatof Foundation Founder and CEO Samuel Dotse, panelists from Africa and Europe discussed strategies for discovering sustainable financing sources and methods for applying to secure funders. This side event began with an introduction of the work of the foundation in water management, forestry and balancing collective social interests. The importance of and need for collaboration was emphasized, both between NGOs as well as B2B. Hatof advocates strong synergies among governments, private sector, academic institutions and civil society organizations. Inequities magnified by climate crises among marginalized groups along gender lines were also highlighted.

In the first of several informal consultations regarding gender and climate change, parties met to discuss the timeline on the Lima Work Programme on Gender (LWPG) and its Gender Action Plan (GAP). Having been a standing agenda item at COP since 2012, the aim since 2019 has been to enhance the LWPG and GAP over a period of five years, culminating in a synthesis report to be presented at COP29 in 2024. Parties that spoke in this meeting advocated moving the deadline of submissions on implementation from July to March of 2024 in order to provide more time for the creation of the synthesis report by the next COP.

The next few days of COP will be focused on health, gender, finance, energy and just transition. Join us again over the next two weeks for updates on negotiations, side events and important discussions at COP28.