Significance of UN Climate Conference (COP28) in Dubai

Prof. M Zahidul Haque

Prof. M Zahidul Haque and Tanzila Rahman

The Conference of Parties (COP28) or the United Nations Climate Conference, this year will be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 30 November to 12 December, 2023. The COP28 carries a special significance because it’s being hosted by an Asian country, i.e. UAE. The COP28 meeting convened under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is expected to take part by representatives from nearly 200 countries to discuss issues relating to climate change impacts and to coordinate global climate action for the next year. Though climate change is a global crisis, still it is hoped that the Asian countries will get special focus covering their efforts to adapt with the climate change impacts.

Tanzila Rahman, UAO, Ramu 

Another significance of Dubai COP28 is HM King Charles III of the United Kingdom will be delivering the opening speech at the UN Global Climate Conference in Dubai. According to Buckingham Palace, Charles was unable to attend the COP27 in Egypt but this time HM King Charles III will attend the COP28 following an invite from The President of UAE, HE Sheikh Mohammed Zayed al-Nahiyan. It may be mentioned here that it will be the third time the British Monarch who has campaigned on environmental issues for more than 50 years will address the COP28 opening session having done so in Glasgow COP26 and at COP21 in Paris. It is expected that HM King Charles will give

some pragmatic directions on how to combat climate change adverse impacts and how the World will gear-up their efforts to accomplish climate change target, an essential segment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Meanwhile authors of this article would like to remember with due honor and gratitude of HM Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms who died on 8 September, 2022; she is known as the “Climate Queen”. The Queen was much concerned with the climate situation. 

She emphasized in Glasgow UN Climate Summit that “The time for words has now moved to the time for action”. The Queen urges that leaders to rise above “the politics of the moment” and said that the legacy of a successful summit will help “our children’s children”.

While mentioning her family’s environment legacy, the Queen remembered her beloved husband HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh who had sounded the alarm on climate change even before it was called that. In 1969, Prince Philip told in an academic gathering: “If the world pollution situation not critical at the moment, it is as certain as anything can be that the situation will become increasingly intolerable within a very short time….If we fail to cope with this challenge, all the other problems will pale into insignificance”. Prince Philip was quite correct in his observation which is evident from the present climate situation.

The climate change impacts include rising temperatures, increased frequency of extreme weather events, such as, droughts, floods, storms, wild fires, etc. The entire world is affected by climate change. African continent is the worst sufferers. From April 2023, a record-breaking heat-wave has affected many Asian countries including India, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. Although most of these countries are responsible for only a small portion of global greenhouse gas emissions but they are suffering disproportionately from climate change.

According to the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) for 2023, Denmark led the index followed by Sweden and Chile.

Bangladesh is vulnerable to climate change disasters. According to the Global Climate Disaster Risk-prone Index Bangladesh ranked seventh in the risk index of the world. Bangladesh has already experiencing the climate change impacts as extreme weather events like flood, storms, erratic rainfall, drought, etc. are frequently visiting the country.

In order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including No.13 SDG—the climate action—a strong outcome at COP28 is essential. UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell recently remarked at a UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development Goal—“This must be the year we course-correct. A strong outcome at COP28 will support both climate action and the sustainability agenda.”

The motto of COP28 is “Partnership Promotes Progress” which signifies a collective commitment to achieving meaningful and sustainable outcomes in the fight against climate change.

We sincerely hope that the COP28 will be successful towards reaching a common understanding among the parties over tackling the climate change impacts around the globe.

At the same time, authors of this article strongly feel that an appeal should be made to the nations now at war calling them to stop their war. Their war is not only causing destruction to the lives and properties but contributing to environmental degradation and climate change as well. Instead of continuing their mad war, they should stop war and employ their resources towards tackling global climate impacts.

(Prof. M Zahidul Haque retired as Professor and was also a former Dean of Faculty of Agriculture at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka and Tanzila Rahman (BCS-Agri) is Upazila Agriculture Officer, Ramu, Cox’s Bazar)