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The two-week Dubai COP28 in December 2023 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) did end with a moderate deal for a transition away from fossil fuel. The world needs to move towards alternative sources of energy. However, it is easier said than done. No miracle was anyway expected by anyone at COP28. Antonio Guterres (UNSG) tried to discipline the countries for accepting an inevitable roadmap to attain 1.5 degree Celsius. “To those who opposed a clear reference to a phaseout of fossil fuels in the COP28 text, I want to say that a fossil fuel phase out is inevitable whether they like it or not”, said the UNSG. On 25 November 2023, in a very powerful message from Antarctica, the UNSG had said: “What happens in Antarctica doesn’t stay in Antarctica and the world must wake-up, because the Antarctic is being awoken due to climate chaos”. It is alike the UNEP Emissions Gap Report of 20 November 2023 which did issue a caveat “the world is heading for a temperature rise far above the Paris Agreement goals unless countries deliver more than they have promised”. It had made a prediction by 2030, that GHG emission must “fall by 28% for the Paris Agreement 2°C pathway and 42% for the 1.5°C pathway”. COP28 did witness lots of pressure put on developed countries.
It did result in operationalizing “loss and damage fund”, agreed at COP27, with money of US$ 475 million. This was indeed considered a drop of water in the bucket, it did comprise contribution that had been made mostly from Germany, EU, UAE and USA. India gave a push to implement the international Stock. During his address on December 1, 2023 Prime Minister Modi voiced concerns of Global South as he asked for “urgency of making the means of implementation, particularly climate finance, available to the developing countries to achieve their climate ambitions and implement their NDCs”. Since 2022 Stockholm+50 Conference, the UNSG did raise a pitch which considered climate change as a “triple planetary crisis”. In 2023, UNSG called from Himalayas as he visited on 30 October 2023 and after that visited Antarctica on 25 November 2023, the UNSG drew attention to a scary scene of a globe in steep crisis and what mitigating measures need to be taken. Therefore, in COP28, UNSG said, we cannot now allow “delays, indecision, or half measures” and did insist that “multilateralism remains humanity’s best hope.” He emphasized that it does entail “real, practical and meaningful climate solutions” to be addressing climate change. It does seem, that after a period of 31 years (1992-2023) of climate change processes, people are bored. All big developed nation-states seem to drag their feet to reduce their GHG emission.
The developed countries have pushed can down the road to do GHG reduction in large countries such as China, Brazil and India. The IPCC AR6 Synthesis Report, that had been put out in public domain on 30 March 2023, did predict a danger staring us in the eye. It highlighted “Average annual GHG emissions during 2010–2019 were higher than in any previous decade on record”. Adding on, the “Global net anthropogenic GHG emissions have…largest share and growth in gross GHG emissions occurring in CO2 from fossil-fuel combustion and industrial processes (CO2-FFI)”. The UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell emphasized “genuine strides forward” made in COP28, as the announcement of initiative in Dubai is “a climate action lifeline, not a finish line” since a Global Stocktaking has been done aiming at helping countries to aligning their domestic climate plan with the Paris Agreement.
After Dubai COP28, the year 2024 too failed in addressing the key issue of GHG emissions resulting from lifestyles as well as patterns of production, consumption and wastages especially in the developed countries. It called for fundamental change in how human being pursue their lives by organizing it with government, business, community, and at an individual level along with the new multilateral mechanisms of international relations by implementing solemn commitment that have been made in treaties and decisions of the UN conferencing. Mankind shall seamlessly embrace to stop using fossil fuels while transitioning towards renewable energy as well as adopting it in accordance to sustainable development goals. These historical shifts shall be entailing cutting-edge technology and innovation for a new type of energy mode, transport and for real estate titans. In fact, the future lies in embracing the circular economies of reduce, reuse and recycle. It would entail embracing the mantra of sustainable practices in every sphere of human life. As far as the COP29 goes there is nothing much to analyze it about. With two active wars, Donald Trump Presidency unleashing deadly trade wars and more anarchy, chaos, sadly the Climate Change will be non-issue!
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