Countries are outlining plans for this year’s climate summit COP28, scheduled to take place in Dubai from November 30 to December 12. The main goals are to secure funding for poorer nations to confront climate change and to strengthen systems that meet the emission targets set in the Paris Agreement of 2015. There is growing concern that progress has not kept pace with expectations, and questions remain about whether these aims can be achieved in time to limit emissions to internationally recognized thresholds.
The European Union, China, and Canada began a two day preparatory session for COP28 this week. Their discussions focus on shaping the global targets for COP28, aiming to triple renewable capacity, double energy efficiency, and increase climate finance in the coming years.
In his keynote, Sultan Al Jaber, appointed as COP28 president, acknowledged the distance still to travel since the Paris Agreement and stressed the urgency of accelerated action from all nations.
Experts with Efe emphasized the opportunity to steer economies toward a sustainable growth model that combines low carbon with robust development.
priorities for less affluent nations
Before COP28, Al Jaber outlined a four pillar plan for the global response to the climate challenge. The first pillar centers on expanding renewable capacity and improving energy efficiency, while decarbonizing the energy sector and leveraging a range of tools including nuclear power, storage solutions, and carbon capture and storage technologies.
The second pillar focuses on creating conditions that mobilize more financial resources for climate policy. Al Jaber urged nations to honor past commitments, including the long promised transfer of $100 billion annually from wealthier to poorer countries, a target that has yet to be fully realized. He called on governments to double funding for climate action and adaptation by 2025.
The unfulfilled pledge of $100 billion
The third pillar centers on a people centered approach that emphasizes nature, food security, health, and resilience. The aim is to protect vulnerable communities, preserve ecosystems, and invest in practical solutions to save lives and improve well being. Al Jaber highlighted the need to protect biodiversity and to reform food systems so that national climate plans address the full chain from production to consumption.
Countries were urged to consider inclusive participation, ensuring that indigenous peoples, local communities, religious groups, and youth voices are heard in COP28 discussions.
Science remains clear. The latest IPCC assessment indicates a need to cut emissions by about 43% by the end of this decade to stay within the 1.5 degree target, according to Al Jaber.
citizens and the climate crisis
At the COP28 opening, regional leaders including Spain’s Vice President articulated concerns about public anxiety over climate change. Timmermans, the European Commission vice president for the Green Deal, stressed the responsibility of public institutions to provide tangible solutions and to support a transition that aligns local goals with global ambitions.
Timmermans also backed accelerating the shift to renewable energy and raising energy efficiency targets by the end of the decade. He urged a move from national ambitions to global coordination to ensure widespread progress.
Public sector financing and private sector mobilization were highlighted as key levers to accelerate climate action, complementing government funding where needed.
Canada’s environment minister, Steven Guilbeault, articulated COP28 as a turning point to mark 2025 as the year when CO2 emissions peak and begin a rapid decline. He emphasized reducing reliance on inefficient fossil fuels, especially coal, and pursuing new financial commitments to support partners in the global south.
Further details and updates will continue as participating nations align on a shared pathway for climate resilience and sustainable growth across the Americas and beyond.
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