The Conference of Parties (COP 28), one of the most significant conferences of current times, was held between November 30, 2023 to December 13, 2023. It took place in Dubai under the presidency of Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber. The Summit was attended by more than 70,000 delegates from around 200 countries. The urgent challenges of climate change and geopolitics have made the conference more crucial than ever before. To this end, certain questions have been pertinent – Can the world leaders find a way forward? Who will pay for the Climate Actions? And would there be any genuine political will? To address all of these, it is essential to take cognizance of the recently held COP 28. It’s indeed a well-accepted fact that all of us are facing the repercussions of climate change and thus, it is of high importance that these problems are addressed at a global level too.
History of Conventions
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992 noted that the per capita emissions in developing countries are still relatively low. This framework was formed to make collective efforts by all the countries to combat climate change at an international level. Gradually, there were discussions and negotiations, and finally, in 1995, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted which legally binds all the country parties to emission reduction targets. After this, a series of COPs took place, out of which, COP 21 was paramount. COP 21, also known as the Paris Agreement, took place in France in 2015. It is a significant event for this convention as it led to an evolution in global climate action by seeking to intensify actions and investment for a sustainable carbon-less future. It aimed to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts to “limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius rise in the global surface temperature.”
Major Agendas and Expectations from COP 28
COP28 is of particular significance as it marked the conclusion of the first-ever Global Stocktake, a comprehensive assessment of progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement. The major theme of COP28 also happened to be the Global Stocktake. This was highlighted in the India-UAE joint statement where both states highlighted the importance of the Global Stocktake (GST) and its successful conclusion at COP 28. It paved the way to take stock of the status quo, aiding in analyzing how far we have come in policymaking and negotiations and the extent to which changes can be brought about for future action. The primary aims also included fast-tracking the move to clean energy sources, delivering money for climate action from richer to poorer countries to find a new solution for the developing nations, and making COP28 the ‘most inclusive’.
The first day of the conference saw a positive start because of the agreement on fund commitments. It aimed to make an operational Loss and Damage (L&D) Fund which would help to compensate for the vulnerable countries or the countries already dealing with climate change. For several years, the demand for an L&D Fund and the absence of a defined replenishment cycle have been at the forefront. It is widely believed that developed countries are the major polluters of the world and thus, the Global South is demanding them to pay for climate action. The developed countries are yet to meet the promised financial commitments, affecting climate mitigation in developing nations. To understand the key areas of Stocktake taken under consideration, it is important to know the associated terms. ‘Mitigation’ refers to the collective efforts to check the rise in global warming levels whereas ‘Adaptation’ indicates the efforts to cope with the detrimental effects of global warming.
India’s position, demands, and challenges
During the COP 28 Conference, India launched the Green Credit Initiative. This was welcomed by the UN Chief. Prime Minister Modi highlighted the impact of climate change on the Global South and said, “The manner in which we give importance to our Health Card in life, we have to similarly start thinking in the context of the environment. We will have to see what is to be done to add positive points to Earth’s Health Card. I think this is what Green Credit is.”
PM Modi also proposed to host COP33 in India. India’s position has always shown its ambitious climate goals and advocated global collaboration. By 2030, it intends to bring down emissions by 45%. The Global Carbon Budget has come to the forefront as India, despite having a lower per capita carbon footprint, faces various challenges due to the reduction in the global carbon budget. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report (IPCC AR6), clearly states that the developed countries have a disproportionately larger contribution in the cumulative emissions as compared to the developing nations. India urgently needs to recognize a fair share of the carbon budget as a strategic national resource and prevent it from over-exploitation by developed nations. This is important in the context of India’s developmental needs and proactive measures for eradication of poverty (like Pradhanmantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana) and a sustainable environmental lifestyle for its citizens (initiatives like LiFE Mission). The most pertinent question arises when the developing countries will have to divert their resources, attention, and everything towards global problems created by the developed countries. For developing countries, development is the most imperative goal and they also deserve a more fair share in the carbon budget. The Indian Government has tried to forge an international consensus on climate change by setting up the International Solar Alliance, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and the Global Biofuel Alliance.
Results and Key Findings of COP 28
The Summit witnessed historic outcomes. One of them was the adoption of the fossil fuel phase-out agreement which aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 if all parties commit to transition away from fossil fuels in an equitable manner. The overarching objective of this comprehensive pledge was to reduce dependence on fossil fuels in the world’s energy production. However, India and China refrained from formally supporting the pledge at COP 28. Despite India’s earlier commitment to tripling global renewable energy capacity during its G20 presidency, it abstained from signing the pledge as the country is highly dependent on its coal production for various development goals. The operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, as highlighted before, was a significant decision. In addition to this, the summit also resulted in the launch of a $30 billion private market climate capital. This will mobilize private sector investment in low-carbon and climate-resilient projects, especially in emerging and developing economies. However, the summit was not devoid of criticism. It experienced dissatisfaction and negation from many civil society groups, indigenous people, youth activists, and scientists, who staged protests and demonstrations.
A Way Forward towards Green Shift, Amidst Climate Politics
It must be noted that achieving consensus requires a dynamic platform with the cooperation of all parties. It also poses the rhetoric – how could you convince 200 nations over anything given the political divide and differences? The conclusion of the climate summit was delayed and there was not much consensus over the draft of COP28. The oil-producing countries were on one side and the West and the African countries were on the other. This distinctly highlighted how divided the world is. UAE and OPEC did not want to talk about the phasing out of fossil fuels. Many smaller nations like Samoa wanted much stronger actions against climate change and did not seem satisfied with the draft agreement. Now, the time has come for promises to be changed into progressive actions. The problems related to climate change cannot face political delays and geopolitical standoffs. There are current conditions that exhibit strong reasons for skepticism. But, it is also important to note that global discussions have affected state behavior and fostered the development of domestic policies even without a formal treaty. There must be a strong realization of the fact that there is no juxtaposition between environmental and economic interests. Climate Change is already a terrible existential threat to the world. All COPs are political events. Thus, we need to find a common ground between all countries and their issues and give ample emphasis on discussions about climate adaptation. Financing is a crucial catalyst for climate action, hence, there needs to be more fruitful and robust commitments from the developed countries including the unmet promises of climate-specific finances. We need more funds and less rhetoric from developed countries. COP 28 was indeed very interesting and could be considered a breakthrough in the arena of climate action because some of the largest emitters of the world didn’t attend the summit. Only their climate envoys were sent which indeed, did not send out a very positive example. Apart from this, the conference faced a lot of obstacles in its journey from funding to the lack of ambition and urgency by some of the major emitters. Amidst all this, COP 28 was historic and what we can do is remain hopeful, again!