- The first COP was held in Berlin in 1995.
- Last year’s COP27 was held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Image: PCS
African political and business leaders on Wednesday adopted a declaration to address climate challenges in Africa on the final day of a major climate summit in Nairobi.
The adoption – announced on Wednesday by the summit’s convener, Kenyan President William Ruto – proposes new global taxes and reforms to international financial institutions.
The leaders are pushing for a paradigm shift in climate change action including mobilising financing, adaptation to increasingly extreme weather, conservation of natural resources and development of renewable energy.
What next after the Nairobi Climate Summit?
The end of the historic summit, signals preparations for the United Nations’ annual conference on climate change.
Its 28th meeting (COP28), is scheduled to begin from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The formal name for the meetings is the Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change or the United Nations Climate Change Conference.
The first COP was held in Berlin in 1995.
Last year’s COP27 was held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
What COP 28 will entail
The COP 28 will focus on four paradigm shifts:
Fast-tracking the energy transition and slashing emissions before 2030;
Transforming climate finance, by delivering on old promises and setting the framework for a new deal on finance;
Putting nature, people, lives, and livelihoods at the heart of climate action; and
Mobilizing for the most inclusive COP ever.
The first Global Stock-take of the implementation of the Paris Agreement will conclude at COP 28.
Each stock-take is a two-year process that happens every five years, to assess the world’s collective progress towards achieving its climate goals.
The first Global Stock-take takes place at the mid-point in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs, including Goal 13 (climate action).
The objective is to align efforts on climate action, including measures to bridge the gaps in progress.
The COP 28 will be preceded by a mandated workshop on the elements of the outcome of the GST in October in the UAE.
COP28 will also spotlight climate adaptation initiatives, as well as mitigation.
These will fall under four key themes: health, water, food, and nature.
COP28 will be the first to feature expanded stakeholder involvement, including high-emissions sectors and private-sector oil and gas organizations.
The UAE conference will comprise of :
The 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28);
The fifth meeting of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 5);
The 18th meeting of the COP served as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 18);
The 59th meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 59); and
The 59th meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 59).
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change is the COP 28 President-designate.
What is the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement?
The Kyoto Protocol, ratified in 1997, is a landmark international treaty in which signatories agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to prevent human interference with the natural climate.
The treaty, a result of COP3, is one of the most significant results of the COP meetings.
In 2012, the agreement was extended to 2020.
The Paris Agreement, also known as the Paris Climate Accords, is an international treaty negotiated in 2015 at COP21.
In Paris, participants agreed to limit the increase of global temperatures to 2°C while pursuing efforts to stay within 1.5°C.
According to the agreement, each country must track, record, and report their carbon emissions as well as their efforts to reduce and offset them.
While Africa’s per capita emissions are significantly lower than the global average, the continent is disproportionately affected by rising global temperatures and escalating climate consequences.
Drought, desertification, and cyclones, among others, are causing food shortages, displacement, and migration.
The Africa Climate Summit provided a timely opportunity ahead of COP28 for regional stakeholders to exchange on barriers overcome and opportunities realized in different countries.
They also showcased how Africa's industrial growth can be aligned with the climate goals of the Paris Agreement and drive economic progress while curbing environmental impacts.