COP28 Drove Momentum towards a Sustainable Future

The UN Climate Change Conference, also known as COP28, recently concluded in Dubai, UAE. COP28 made significant progress on various fronts, including the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund established at COP27. It also conducted the inaugural 'Global Stocktake' and laid the groundwork for a fossil-fuel-free future through a groundbreaking decision. In this article, Dr Anil Pratap Singh sheds light on the deliberations that transpired at COP28, emphasizing India's pivotal role in the conference.

- Dr Anil Pratap Singh

COP28, the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), wrapped up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) in December 2023. The conference witnessed a momentous gathering of over 70,000 delegates from around 200 countries of the world. COP28 delivered on multiple fronts which operationalized the Loss and Damage Fund, set up at COP27; conducted the first ‘Global Stocktake’ (GST), and paved the way for a fossil-fuel-free future through its groundbreaking decision. While climate negotiators finally agreed on a roadmap for ‘transitioning away from fossil fuels’ like oil, coal, and gas but it doesn’t go as far as some countries and activists wanted, that is, a complete phase-out of fossil fuels, rather than simply transitioning away from them. However, it’s for the first time, a UN climate conference has explicitly acknowledged the need to end reliance on these fuels. The unifying motto of COP28 was “Uniting the world to Act and Deliver for a just and sustainable future.”

Looking back, the Kyoto Protocol at COP3 in 1997 marked a notable moment when nations united to address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2015, the Paris Agreement adopted at COP21 became a landmark, legally binding treaty with the aim of limiting global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, above pre-industrial levels. Today, the international community’s approach to climate change has shifted primarily towards transitioning away from fossil fuels as a key strategy for mitigation.