This year’s global temperature is expected to be more than 1.4 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial levels

To help try to curb this increase in the global temperature, at this year’s COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, representatives from nearly 20 countries agreed to a groundbreaking climate agreement to transition away from using fossil fuels in the energy sector. The agreement marks the first time the annual UN meeting has asked countries to move away from fossil fuels — the main driver of the climate crisis.

Held from 30 November to 12 December in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, COP28 provided a platform for open discussion and ongoing collaboration toward a more sustainable world. Some of the pertinent topics covered at the event were limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, helping vulnerable communities and the agricultural sector adapt to the effects of climate change, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

We have outlined some of the key takeaways from COP28 which will help to improve the world we live in.

Fossil fuels included in “UAE Consensus”

During COP28, countries agreed to transition "away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero in keeping with the science".

The climate agreement, titled “UAE Consensus”, calls on parties to transition away from fossil fuels to reach net zero, encourages them to submit economy-wide Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), includes a new specific target to triple renewables and double energy efficiency by 2030, and builds momentum behind a new architecture for climate finance. It also lays out an ambitious response to the Global Stocktake, a process for countries and stakeholders to see where they are collectively making progress towards meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Nature-based solutions

At COP28’s Nature, Land Use and Ocean Day, countries and non-state actors supported nature-based climate action, financing $186.6 million for nature and climate towards forests, mangroves, and the ocean. This commitment followed the $2.5 billion mobilized to protect and restore nature during COP28's World Climate Action Summit[1].

Nature-based solutions are critical for addressing climate change, yet they are generally under-invested. Integrating action on nature loss and climate change is required for a more livable planet. Reversing nature-loss can provide upwards of 30% of the mitigation action needed to keep 1.5°C within reach by 2030[2]. 

Help for the global agriculture sector

Taking a significant stride towards a sustainable future, over 150 countries signed the UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action, in which governments recognize the need to help farmers adapt to climate change and pledge to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. The list of countries that signed are responsible for 70% of the food we eat and 76% of total emissions from food systems[3]. A special taskforce was also created to help governments implement these commitments by setting emissions reductions targets.

The global community has taken positive steps to reduce consumption of oil, gas, and coal, improve the health of the natural world, and help the agricultural sector reach climate goals. Agreements at COP28 are significant in addressing the climate crisis by curbing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting global warming to provide a livable planet for future generations.

Visit the COP28 webpage to learn more about what the global community is doing to accelerate climate action. https://www.cop28.com/en/ 

[1]https://www.cop28.com/en/news/2023/12/United-for-Nature-COP28-mobilizes-action-to-protect

[2]https://www.cop28.com/en/news/2023/12/United-for-Nature-COP28-mobilizes-action-to-protect#:~:text=Reversing%20nature%2Dloss%20can%20provide,such%20as%20floods%20and%20fires.

[3]https://www.cop28.com/en/news/2023/12/COP28-UAE-Presidency-puts-food-systems-transformation