COP28 Deal Shows Annual Festival Is a Serious Business
With 97,000 delegates registering to attend, the United Nations gathering has at least focused the world on the environment.
The logo of the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 is pictured at Expo City in Dubai.
Photographer: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images
The day I started my role as a climate columnist was the day that Sultan Al Jaber was announced as the president-designate of COP28. I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to a key tension around climate action – how to achieve deep and rapid fossil-fuel cuts in economies reliant on them. After attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference almost a year later, I’m a bit more optimistic: 97,000 registered attendees shows the world at least recognizes the scale of the problem.
COP28 has now ended, with an historic deal mentioning moving away from oil and gas in a COP text for the first time. The final version asks nations to contribute to global efforts on “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems.” It’s not perfect: “Calls on Parties to contribute” is stronger than a draft that suggested moves “could include” ditching fossil fuels, but it’s still a fairly weak invitation to action. It’s not the definitive “phase out” phrasing that many were hoping for, and it’s also not job done: Real world results will only be seen if countries actually make good on this agreement with proper implementation. Still, it’s something to cheer.