Over the next two weeks, the Middle East will host its second consecutive UN climate summit, with countries seeking to reach an agreement on new measures to protect the globe from overheating by the end of the century. The 28th ‘Conference of the Parties’ of the United Nations Climate.
The conference will be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from Thursday to December 12, amid persistent doubts about how far the oil-rich country will go to help end a climate crisis caused mostly by fossil fuel use. Here’s a glance at the context, stakes, and problems that will face COP28.
Since last year’s summit in Egypt, the world has gotten hotter. According to some scientists, 2023 is already the hottest year ever recorded. The northern hemisphere had record-high temperatures this summer, and Brazil, where summer has yet to arrive, experienced all-time high heat and humidity this month.
There are mounting indications that the world, particularly emerging countries, is becoming increasingly unprepared: The monsoon season in India this year caused approximately $1.5 billion in property damage. In September, Tropical Storm Daniel brought devastating floods to Libya.
Hurricane Otis devastated Mexico last month, raising fears that the government would spend more money rebuilding than helping people adapt.
Even if extreme cold spells recur, as they are now in northern Europe, the main trend lines lead to rising world average temperatures. Few scientists and officials anticipate a significant breakthrough this year.
The burning of fossil fuels, which emit carbon into the atmosphere, is still the primary source of global warming, and production is increasing. Climate activists claim that efforts to create wind, solar, and other alternative fuels are moving too slowly.
The Paris Climate Agreement of 2015 set a target of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) since the beginning of the industrial era – yet the globe is falling far short. Many experts believe that to accomplish that aim, carbon emissions in the atmosphere must peak next year and then drop by roughly half by 2030.
