COP28

COP28
Palácio do Planalto from Brasilia, Brasil · CC BY 2.0 · source
Name	2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference
Other names	Twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties
Location	Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dates	30 November – 12 December 2023
Participants	Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and observers
Chair	Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber
Result	Loss and damage fund operationalization; global stocktake outcomes; various mitigation and finance pledges

COP28 The 2023 United Nations climate conference, convened as the twenty-eighth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, brought representatives from states, subnational authorities, intergovernmental organizations, and non-state actors together in Dubai to advance implementation of commitments under the Paris Agreement, finalize the global stocktake, and negotiate finance for adaptation and loss and damage. The session occurred amid overlapping crises including geopolitical tensions involving Russia, supply-chain disruptions tied to China, and energy market volatility connected to the Gulf Cooperation Council. Major fossil fuel producers, international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, alongside civil society coalitions like Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund, featured prominently in debates.

Background and context

The conference followed the framework set by the Paris Agreement and the timetable of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process, including the first formal global stocktake mandated by Parties in Glasgow outcomes. It built on precedents from earlier meetings such as the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC sessions in Bonn and the landmark Kyoto Protocol negotiations, while intersecting with parallel fora including the G20 summits, the COP26 and COP27 proceedings, and deliberations in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Scientific evidence from the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report and assessments by the International Energy Agency informed urgency on mitigation, adaptation, and finance. Debates also reflected obligations under treaties such as the UNFCCC and political commitments from coalitions like the High Ambition Coalition and the Climate Vulnerable Forum.

Venue, dates, and organization

Hosted in Dubai at the Expo City Dubai venue, the conference ran from 30 November to 12 December 2023 under the presidency of Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, who concurrently served as head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and led the national delegation. The Secretariat of the UNFCCC coordinated logistics with the United Arab Emirates government and partner agencies including the United Nations conference services. Sessions were structured across plenaries, contact groups, and the subsidiary bodies that mirror processes from previous meets in Madrid and Katowice, while accreditation and observer participation followed modalities used in prior summits involving the European Union, national delegations such as India and United States, and observer organizations like the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Key themes and agenda

Priority items included operationalizing a fund for loss and damage as advocated by the G77 and China grouping and the Alliance of Small Island States, closing the ambition gap identified in the IPCC reports, scaling up mitigation pathways consistent with 1.5 °C as promoted by coalitions including the High Ambition Coalition, and securing finance commitments from developed Parties consistent with promises to the Green Climate Fund. Energy transition debates involved stakeholders such as the International Energy Agency, the International Finance Corporation, oil and gas majors represented by the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers, and clean-technology proponents like Tesla. Cross-cutting themes included adaptation finance with actors like the Adaptation Fund, loss and damage mechanisms, transparency frameworks under the Paris Agreement, and private-sector mobilization through entities including the World Economic Forum.

Negotiations and outcomes

Negotiations produced a package responding to the first global stocktake, reflected in political declarations and operational decisions that advanced modalities for transparency and implementation under the Paris Agreement. A central outcome was the establishment and initial capitalization arrangements for loss and damage financing, negotiated among donor countries including members of the European Union, contributions coordinated with institutions such as the World Bank and mechanisms referenced by the Green Climate Fund. Mitigation outcomes included calls for accelerated emissions reductions and references to fossil fuel phase-down language debated intensely by Parties including Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Norway. Agreements addressed the transparency framework procedures established in previous sessions such as the Katowice Climate Package while leaving elements of market mechanisms and long-term finance subject to further negotiation.

Participation and key stakeholders

Participants spanned national delegations from members of the United Nations General Assembly, multilateral institutions like the United Nations Development Programme, private-sector representatives including major energy corporations and financial institutions such as the BlackRock and HSBC, Indigenous organizations, and NGOs including Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth. Subnational actors from entities like the C40 Cities network and business coalitions such as the We Mean Business coalition engaged in parallel tracks. Philanthropic funders and research institutions such as Rockefeller Foundation and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology influenced policy dialogues and technical panels.

Controversies and criticisms

Controversies centered on the dual role of the conference president as head of a national oil company, drawing criticism from environmental groups including Extinction Rebellion and academic commentators affiliated with institutions like Stanford University. Transparency and access issues echoed concerns raised in prior meetings in Doha and Warsaw, amplified by disputes over fossil fuel language involving Parties such as United States, China, and Saudi Arabia. Civil society and youth movements, including representatives from Fridays for Future and Sunrise Movement, criticized perceived influence by energy corporations and gaps in commitments from major emitters, while negotiators debated the governance architecture for loss and damage funding and the role of multilateral development banks such as the Asian Development Bank.

Legacy and impact

The conference’s legacy includes operational steps toward a loss and damage finance facility, political momentum from the global stocktake to accelerate mitigation consistent with IPCC pathways, and renewed scrutiny on governance norms for climate diplomacy involving energy sector representation. Outcomes influenced policy in capitals such as Berlin, Beijing, and Washington, D.C., affected investor signals for markets monitored by Bloomberg and the International Monetary Fund, and shaped agendas for subsequent international forums including the G7 and future UN climate meetings. The procedural precedents and stakeholder alignments established in Dubai will inform ongoing negotiations, financing flows, and adaptation planning across vulnerable regions represented by the African Union and the Pacific Islands Forum.

Category:United Nations climate change conferences