The 2020 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP28, is the culmination of over two decades of negotiations and meetings about how nations can reduce their carbon footprints and prevent irreparable environmental damage. The conference will take place from December 1-16 in Glasgow, Scotland and is the first under the Paris Agreement – a landmark international agreement to combat climate change. The Paris Agreement, implemented in 2016, called for countries to reduce their emissions with the goal of achieving “a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century.”
This year’s COP28 will bring together more than 190 countries to address the urgent need for global response to the climate crisis. These agreements are designed to move countries closer to a net-zero carbon future. For many nations, this will mean more stringent commitments in the form of renewable energy investments, energy efficiency measures, and changes to existing policy measures.
The talks, which will be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will focus on climate action, adaptation and finance. One major theme will be how to meet the developing countries’ commitments to reduce their emissions and how to mobilize the available climate finance for them. A number of panels will be held, including those focusing on linking the private sector to the green economy and natural carbon sequestration.
The current global climate crisis has already had a profound impact on numerous communities around the world—particularly those living in the Global South. Additionally, the persistent economic crisis created by the pandemic has increased the stakes for the participants of the summit. It is essential, now more than ever, for countries to reach meaningful agreements and commit to lasting change for a more sustainable future.
The COP28 is an important reminder of the necessity and urgency for global, collective action when it comes to climate change. Over the coming weeks and months, delegations will come together to hammer out the details of a legally binding agreement that will move us closer to a carbon-neutral world. The decisions made at this crucial event will reverberate around the world and can shape the future of our planet.