COP28 In Dubai: What To Expect As Global Leaders Set To Meet And Assess Climate Action Progress

The twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai is set to kick off on Thursday (30 November), bringing together 70,000 delegates from 198 countries to assess global climate action.

The highlight of this edition is supposed to be the inaugural Global Stock Take (GST), a five-yearly evaluation of climate efforts, reported Business Standard.

The GST, focusing on mitigation, adaptation, and financial strategies, aims to hold governments accountable and spur necessary revisions to action plans by 2025.

Moreover, several crucial decisions await discussions at COP28, including the potential extension of the fossil fuel "phase out" to include oil and gas, a tripling of renewable energy capacity by 2030, and scrutiny over the unmet promise of $100 billion annually from wealthy nations for climate action in developing countries.

The Loss and Damage Fund, a tool to offset climate change impacts caused by developed nations, faces a critical operationalisation test.

A unique aspect of COP28 is a dedicated day for high-level dialogues on "protecting lives, livelihoods, community resilience, and stability" in regions grappling with climate change and conflicts.

As the world stands at 1.1 degrees Celsius of warming, exceeding the Paris Agreement goals, COP28 becomes a pivotal juncture.

With a call to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43 per cent by 2030, the decisions made here will reverberate globally, shaping the future trajectory of climate action.