As world leaders and negotiators descended on Dubai for COP28, local weather campaigners, company leaders and business lobbyists alike seized the chance to get their voices heard. The consequence was a plethora of pavllions, panel discussions, press conferences and (permitted) protests that crammed the halls and streets of Dubai’s Expo Metropolis.
Whereas the United Nations stated it anticipated greater than 70,000 delegates to participate on this yr’s local weather change assembly, subsequent information stories pegged the precise quantity at over 100,000 folks — making it the most important COP gathering since its first assembly in 1995. The convention venue spanned 1,000 acres and a large number of pavilions and cubicles hosted by particular person nations and organistions.
Key developments this yr included the operationalisation of a world fund for loss and harm which might assist growing nations take care of the impacts of local weather change, and the inclusion of robust language to section out fossi lfuel within the closing textual content of the World Stocktake — an evaluation of the progress of nations on their Paris Settlement targets.
Whereas the previous was introduced initially of COP28 as an early win, discussions for the latter have stretched late into the deadline on Tuesday. Oil producing nations had been advised by OPEC (Group of the Petroleum Exporting Nations) to push again towards language surrounding the section out of fossil fuels, whereas critics argue that the present draft textual content doesn’t go far sufficient.
Protestors demanded that developed nations contribute extra financing to a world loss and harm fund to assist local weather mitigation and adaptation in weak nations. Picture: Jessica Cheam / Eco-Enterprise
Early wins on the convention included the institution of a loss and harm fund, which can assist weak nations tackle the results of local weather change. Nevertheless, most nations have disagreed that the fund ought to be hosted solely by the World Financial institution, with the Philippines asking to host the worldwide fund as an alternative.
In addtion to calling for local weather reparations, activists at COP28 additionally held emotionally-charged protests demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. Picture: Jessica Cheam / Eco-Enterprise
Protests had been held on the streets of Dubai’s Expo Metropolis all through COP28, reaching a fever pitch in the course of the convention’s closing weekend. Along with urging for higher local weather motion from developed nations, together with larger contributions to the loss and harm fund, non-profit and civil society leaders additionally demanded motion on different urgent international points, such because the Israel-Gaza battle.
The United Arab Emirates allowed for some protests to happen at COP28, largely inside the UN’s “Blue Zone” space. The nation in any other case bans protests and doesn’t enable for the formation of political events or labour unions.
Youth activists take to the streets on the Expo Metropolis Dubai to induce for higher local weather motion. Picture: Jessica Cheam / Eco-Enterprise
Mates of the Earth, Local weather Motion Community, E3G and different environmental non-profits hosted common press briefings to maintain contributors knowledgeable of every day’s deliberations. Most expressed concern as negotiations dragged on with out consensus on the section out of fossil fuels and local weather financing.
“Key fossil gas producers just like the US, Canada, Norway and Australia must take an ethical stance for folks and the planet by stopping their very own manufacturing and to step up with finance as a result of they’ve disproportionately polluted the planet,” stated Jean Su, director of the power justice programme on the Heart for Organic Variety. “We have to amp up the ambition with 2030 deadlines on a big section down of fossil fuels and pressure wealthy nations to assist with finance so as to get the worldwide south nations to leapfrog over our fossil gas system and get to renewable power.”
A consultant from environmental non-profit Mates of the Earth carried a banner asking wealthy nations to pay extra for local weather reparations. Picture: Jessica Cheam / Eco-Enterprise
Southeast Asian nations got here to COP28 in full pressure, with pavilions hosted by Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and extra. Vietnam’s prime minister Pham Minh Chinh introduced that the nation would obtain US$15.5 billion from buyers, principally from G7 nations, to wean itself off of coal.
Delegations internationally additionally took the possibility to have bilateral conferences on the nation pavillions at COP28, reminiscent of this one on the Vietnam pavillion. Picture: Jessica Cheam / Eco-Enterprise
Singapore’s leaders at COP28 mentioned the necessity for ample carbon pricing and reaffirmed their dedication to collective motion. The nation additionally launched a brand new blended finance initiative at COP28, which goals to mobilise as much as US$5 billion for inexperienced and transition-related investments throughout Asia.
Singapore’s COP28 pavilion showcased the nation’s efforts in convening gamers throughout sectors and domains to acheive web zero emissions by 2050. Picture: Jessica Cheam / Eco-Enterprise
COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber poses for a photograph alternative with Norway’s local weather and surroundings minister Espen Barth-Eide (left) and Singapore’s sustainability and surroundings minister Grace Fu (proper), who’re co-facilitating negotiations on local weather mitigation on the Dubai summit. Picture: Jessica Cheam/Eco-Enterprise
Whereas Saudi Arabia hosted one in every of COP28’s most eye-catching pavilions, it additionally opposed the discount or phasing out of fossil fuels in closing texts. The nation dominates the Organisation of Petroleum-Exporting Nations (Opec), which has complained in regards to the “undue and disproportionate pressue towards fossil fuels” in the course of the negotiations and urged its allies to do the identical.
The Saudi Arabia pavillion — one of many largest constructions within the UN Inexperienced Zone, which was open to the general public and situated proper subsequent to the Blue Zone. Picture: Jessica Cheam / Eco-Enterprise
Mirrors above the guests thronging the Saudi Arabia pavillion — Picture: Jessica Cheam / Eco-Enterprise
Saudi Arabia’s pavilion at COP28 was second solely to the UAE pavilion in dimension and featured giant LED wall installations and water options. Picture: Jessica Cheam / Eco-Enterprise
Dancers would sometimes take to the streets within the Inexperienced Zone to thrill delegates with their multi-cultural performances. Picture: Jessica Cheam / Eco-Enterprise
Younger folks additionally featured prominently at this yr’s COP, with the convention internet hosting its first ever Youth Stocktake in collaboration with YOUNGO, the UN’s official kids and youth constituency for local weather change. Regardless of the high-level of illustration on the youth dialogue, younger folks had been principally lacking from the day-to-day work of COP28, lamented YOUNGO’s Dr Mashkur Isa.
“Regardless of our steady requires bold local weather motion our kids and youth are absent from local weather discussions, commitments and policymaking. Events should shield our pursuits by instantly inserting the voices of youngsters and youth on the middle of all ranges of local weather change decision-making,” he stated.
This yr’s COP28 featured a 1000’s of youth activists and the primary ever Youth Stocktake. Picture: Jessica Cheam / Eco-Enterprise
Indigenous peoples particpated in quite a few protests and media interviews to make their calls for heard, which together with direct funding to indigenous peoples, non-debt finance mechanisms and a human rights method to options. Picture: Jessica Cheam/ Eco-Enterprise
A sculpture representing our shared humanity for COP28 sits within the plenary halls. Picture: Jessica Cheam/Eco-Enterprise
Campaigners make their level outdoors the plenary halls of COP28 as negotiators enter the ultimate days on the assembly to decade on the language round the way forward for fossil fuels. Picture: Jessica Cheam/Eco-Enterprise
