COP28: No politics please, it’s go time for bold climate action

DUBAI: As high-stakes global climate negotiations in Dubau enter the final lap, UN climate chief Simon Stiell struck a note of emergency, exhorting all countries to eschew political tactics and focus on accelerating bold climate action to prevent the looming catastrophe.

“This week I don’t want to see diversions and political tactics that hold climate ambition hostage,” said Mr Stiell. Calling for a “paradigm shift in climate action,” Mr Stiell urged all ministers and negotiators to think outside the box. Linking climate action to food security, UN climate chief said: “Every country is hungry for the next source of stable economic growth. Billions of households are struggling to put bread on the table.”

“So, bold climate action can be the meal-ticket of the 21st century – this week in Dubai all countries must cooperate to put it in reach.”

Amid impasse over several critical issues, Mr Steil’s message focused on action and how to get the job done. “COP28 must deliver a big switch: not just ‘what’ governments must do, but also ‘how’ to get the job done. The technologies and tools all exist. This week negotiators must agree on putting them to work. In short, it’s go-time for governments at COP28 this week.” “If we want to save lives now, and keep 1.5 within reach, the highest ambition COP outcomes must stay front and center in these negotiations,” he stressed.

More than halfway half-way through the UN Climate Summit (COP28), a sense of gloom is deepening here as there is no decisive progress yet on key aspects of negotiating texts, including the Global Stocktake, Global Goal on Adaptation and Climate Finance. The only silver lining if that the Loss and Damage fund, which was debated for months, was operationalised on Day 1 of COP28 on November 30. Around $726 million has been pledged for the fund. Developing countries have projected the actual needs to be around $400 billion a year.

COP28 is set to create history by concluding the first-ever Global Stock Take (GST), a review of the collective progress on Paris Agreement’s goals of keeping global temperature rise this century well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°Celsius.

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Manish Chand

Manish Chand is Founder-CEO and Editor-in-Chief of India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org) and India and World, a pioneering magazine focused on international affairs. He is CEO/Director of TGII Media Private Limited, an India-based media, publishing, research and consultancy company.