By Abigail Gilder
Staff Writer
On Nov. 30, the United Nations met in the United Arab Emirates to discuss climate change at the Conference of the Parties Summit, also known as COP28.
COP28 is the 28th United Nations climate conference and includes countries that have signed the original United Nations climate contract in 1992. It also includes other countries that have joined since. This conference will be in continuance from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12, according to BBC.
The theme of this year’s COP conference is “transition to clean energy,” with the goal of cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030 in order to limit global warming. As reported by the U.N., the summit is an opportunity to look at the agenda of the 2015 Paris Agreement in emissions reduction, and evaluate the failures of not meeting the Paris Agreement. The COP28 also presents an opportunity to determine the necessity of global fossil fuel usage in regards to the environment, rather than the economy.
Another primary goal of the conference is to address global emissions and protect the livelihoods of farmers. According to the U.N., the conference also recognizes that reducing impacts on public health as a result of climate change is not only crucial to the environment, but to the survival of the human race. In order to do this, the U.N. asserts that all countries must participate.
Over the next seven years, the U.N. and COP28 plan to hold nations within the United Nations responsible for reducing their carbon emissions and to decarbonize their main energy systems to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gasses.
Despite the efforts to rectify the damaging effects of climate change, holding COP28 has caused controversy. This is largely due to the fact that the United Arab Emirates is one of the largest oil-producing countries in the world, and is speaking on behalf of climate change at the talks, causing issues as a “conflict of interest,” according to CBC.
While U.N. Secretary General Atonio Guterres says that it is necessary to completely abandon fossil fuels and transition to clean energy in order to prevent “planetary crash and burn,” others, such as United Arab Emirate’s Sultan Al Jaber, the special envoy for climate change, says that there is “no science” behind this potential transition, according to The Guardian.
Many find Al Jaber’s commentary on the legitimacy of climate change concerning, considering he holds the title of president of COP28. Not only does this mean Al Jaber is responsible for leading the climate talks, but he has a considerable decision in the end result of the verbiage of the upcoming agreement.
At the end of the summit later this month, the results and resolutions will be made available for public consumption. While most countries appear to be in agreement of the plan to reduce the emission of greenhouse gasses and usage of fossil fuels by 2030, the end result remains unclear.
