Cop28 in Dubai: What to Know About the Upcoming Global Climate Summit

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Updated February 2023

The COP28 is the 28th session of the Conference of Parties, which is the primary decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC was formed to deal with the growing threat of climate change; as a part of this, the Conference of Parties (COP) is held every year to discuss and find solutions for climate change.

Keep reading to find out more about COP28 being hosted by the UAE at Dubai Expo City.

What is COP28?

COP28 is the 28th session of the Conference of Parties (COP) which is the apex decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC was primarily formed to deal with the growing threat of climate change, and as a part of this, the Conference of Parties (COP) is held every year to discuss and find solutions for climate change.

Usually, the Presidency and venue of COP rotate among the five recognized UN regions, including the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Central, Eastern and Western Europe. For the year 2023, COP28 is reported to take place in the UAE from 30 November to 12 December, and Dubai Expo City has been chosen as the host city.

COP28 date & location in Dubai

The 28th session of COP, or Conference of Parties, will be hosted by the UAE and is tentatively reported to be held from 30 November to 12 December 2023 at the Dubai Expo City.

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Moreover, the Dubai Expo City is one of the best locations for such a conference to take place as both COP28 and Expo 2020 Dubai have some similar goals and missions, including achieving sustainability and encouraging global cooperation to address global issues.

Cop28 logo

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, unveiled the logo of Cop28 on 16 January during the event launch at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in Adnec.

Inspired by the “one world” concept, the logo’s spherical design with light and dark green shades depicts people, renewable energy technologies, wildlife and nature, representing the need to use innovation for sustainable development.

It conveys the message that Cop28 will be a Cop of action and will contribute to the progress in mitigation, adaptation, finance, and loss and damage.

According to Dr Sultan Al Jaber, President-designate of Cop28 and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, “we live in one world, a world where we need to collaborate and cooperate like never before to make the transformational progress needed to reach the Paris Agreement.

Who is the president of COP28 in Dubai?

Generally, for every session of the COP Conference of Parties, the Presidency position is held by the Minister of Environment from the host government. Therefore, for COP28 in Dubai, UAE, HE Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri will be taking over the presidency position.

Environmental relevance of the UAE as the host of COP28

The UAE’s position as the host for COP28 in 2023 reflects the country’s efforts to transition to an economy that utilizes renewable and clean energy, technology advancements, and climate-smart solutions. A major focus of the conference will be on the economic case for climate action. 

Moreover, the UAE views hosting COP28 as a privilege and an acknowledgement of the country’s environmental efforts over the past three decades. Climate change has been a priority for the UAE since 1989, the same year it ratified the Vienna Convention for the protection of the ozone layer. The country became a member of the UNFCCC in 1995 and ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2005.

Given below are some of the ‘green’ initiatives practised and propagated by the UAE include:

• The UAE and the US put forward the proposal for the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate or AIM with the objective of creating huge investments in climate-smart agriculture and food systems over the next 5 years. The agriculture sector employs around 5 billion people globally, and the UAE pledged an extra $1 billion for this project.
• As part of its commitment to reduce methane emissions, the UAE has joined the Global Methane Pledge. UAE’s hydrocarbon industries have the world’s lowest methane intensities of 0.01%. Moreover, by 2023, the country aims to reduce methane emissions by 30%.
• Efforts have also been made by the UAE government to maximize renewable energy sources. To help developing countries transition to renewable energy, $400 million has been invested.
• By fostering low-carbon industries, the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has created the Hydrogen Leadership Roadmap, which outlines comprehensive steps for the country to become a leading exporter of hydrogen.
• A large-scale carbon capture facility (CCUS) is also located in the UAE. Solar energy costs can be reduced with the help of this facility. 
• In its second NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution), the UAE aims to plant 100 million mangrove trees by the end of the decade. The NDC was adopted as part of the Paris Agreement.
• As part of the government’s climate change assistance, $17 billion was spent on 27 island nations. The city has initiated a number of projects, such as solar, wind, and battery storage.
• The Barakah Nuclear Plant began operating in April 2022. UAE’s power sector will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions significantly once the four reactors of the plant are fully operational
• Being amongst the first countries in the Middle East and North Africa to announce the Net Zero 2050, the strategic initiative was mainly aimed at making the UAE carbon-neutral by mid-century. 

What to expect from COP28 in Dubai?

Although nothing major has been confirmed regarding the 28th session of COP or Conference of Parties, given below are some of the significant outcomes, as outlined by the UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa, of COP26 held in 2021 and hosted by the United Kingdom at Glasgow, Scotland, to give you an idea of what the COP28 conference might look like:

• Adapting to the impacts of climate change. After COP 26, a work programme has come into existence to define how all the countries will adapt to this phenomenon.
• Creating more funds for developing countries to help them in the process of adaptation.
• Although emission levels have come down, more efforts need to be taken by governments. For this, the deployment of renewables needs to be accelerated.
• Finalizing the guidelines for the complete implementation of the Paris Agreement. The compromise reached in Article 6 talks about carbon markets that will ensure fair competition. Along with this, negotiations on the ETF or Enhanced Transparency Framework were also finalized to help countries build trust.

Please note that we will update more information as and when released by officials.