News from Dubai. COP28 comes to an end. Apparently.
Acknowledgement.
Dear reader, thank you for following our daily posts. We hope that you could capture not only the globally significant issues, but also the atmosphere of such an event, while it was actually unfolding. Like you were here at our side.
We from Carbon Credit Markets share various contents so that our readers, in a lifelong learning processes, are not left behind. Our editorial line has been always writing the information in a constructive and positive way.
It was a privilege to be here and share all the diaries with you.
For our esteemed subscribers, we will stop with the daily emails and from the coming December 22nd onwards we will resume the remittance of the top posts of the week. Or when urgent news.
Before we start.
This official final COP28 day was different.
We talked a lot about the Metro in the first diaries. Today it was empty, with enough places for us to sit. Dubai’s Metro going back to its normality (to the delight of local users).
COP28 App / Schedule of meetings. Everyday it was the first thing to check. Today, except for Press Conferences, the message was “The conference schedule of meetings has not yet been published for this date. The schedule is updated every 24 hours. Please check back closer to the time for an updated list of meetings.”. In other words, no information.
In terms of Press Conferences at COP28, there were two rooms, 1 and 2.
Room 1 was reserved usually for presidents, ministers, diplomats, country delegations or UN-related. As you will see below, there were several scheduled conferences for today. Almost all were cancelled. This is probably indicating something … difficult consensus on the final Global Stocktake document.
Room 2, located 10 minutes walk from the main one, was used for all other Press Conferences. And particularly today with a completely different dynamic of room 1 (empty): room 2 had one conference after the other, several NGOs’, and full attendance. People around were obviously eager to have news. So, until closure of this last diary, contents are based on the first draft of the Global Stocktake (GST) officially published yesterday. Here it is, also for your reference.
And going from one building to another, this last day we noted one tree in particular. There was a plate under it, where we could read:
“Ghaf Tree. The Ghaf is the national tree of the UAE with a rich and storied tradition across the Arabian Peninsula. Historically, the Ghaf das provided a shady resting place and a meeting point for Bedouin people travelling across the desert. It is a resilient and resourceful tree whose roots travel up to 30 meters below the desert sands in search for water. The Ghaf was also traditionally used by the people of this land in the treatment of illnesses including leprosy, dysentery, asthma, leucoderma, dyspepsia and ear aches. There are more than 700 Ghaf trees planted around Expo 2020 Dubai”. (COP28).
With our “heightened senses”, we also realised that every now and then there was a cat enjoying the sun. But we never saw a dog. None of these days in Dubai. And we have been walking quite a lot. Not only inside COP28’s Blue (and Green) Zones - were we could also hear and see birds, by the way - but crossing a huge and always crowded Mall, two times a day.
One last thing, after close two weeks of COP28 walking a lot: our feet. Today we saw more people limping with apparent blisters on their feet.
By the way, dressing well in international events like this tends to “open more doors” than otherwise.
The last day.
“UN ESCAP: Special Event on Joint Efforts and Innovations for Our Sustainable Future”
With Prof. Myles Allen (University of Oxford) and Prof Alex Wang (Global Committee on Social Business for Sustainable Development Goals www.youth4sdg.org) moderated by Aneta Nikolova (UN ESCAP www.unescap.org)
Presentation can be summarise as initiatives related to a quote from Prof. Muhammad Yunus, and UN’s General Assembly of 2016:
“We must commit ourselves to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The most dependable way to do is to apply the methodology of social business, involve the creativity of youth and the power of fast changing technology”.
“Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi talk to the Media about the draft GST”
“Now we know where the “red lines” are. The 1.5°C is given.”
“Parties together will define the level of ambition.”
“Loss & damage already a huge success”
“We are focused in getting the most ambitious out of the process”
And on a question related to “consensus leading to less ambitions” his answer was basically that “consensus leads to group ambitions”.
“WWF: Taking stock: How will COP 28 conclude?”
“Multilateralism”
“Strong wording on correcting the route but … more focus on the temperature than fossil fuels.”
“There were good points though. e.g. the 1.5°C and natural based solutions mentioned.”
About Loss and Damage: “ it’s just the beginning. Let’s keep our eyes open”.
On what each jurisdiction must do: “Translation to laws. implementation, how to connect with the real world and economy. COPs with growing number of participants and therefore voters, who will hold their countries accountable”.
Afterwards, we hoped to participate in these press conferences, which unfortunately were all cancelled.
“Germany: Press Conference of the German Minister of Foreign Affairs”
“G77+China Meeting”
“Spain - EU Presidency: Press Conference of the EU”
“USA: Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry COP28 Closing Press Conference”
“Press Conference: Brazil”
“Press Conference: Colombia”
Probably given the situation already explained.
“Climate Action Network updates on the negotiations”
Activism on COP28’s expected outcome. As the other press conferences were cancelled, this one was crowded, with a very diverse audience.
“COP’s President requested to revise the wording up in terms of ambition”.
“Strong statements from Pacific Islands yesterday.” Here is one example.
“It should be a package of actions, not options”.
Adaptation. “Countries developed plans but did not implement. Or there is no money to do so.”
“What is the measurement when people suffer with adaptation?”
“Profits are increasing, subsidies are increasing, but there is no money for adaptation. This is odd.”
“Better language will be positive, but in equity and finance can enhance trust by developing countries”
“At this stage, developing countries are just getting pressure. That’s unfair. Today we are paying for the consequences of actions by other countries built over 150 years.”
“Center of Biological Diversity: US Perspectives on Fossil Fuel Phaseout at COP28”.
Activism on contradictions.
“A moral obligation”. But would phasing fossil fuels out be enough?
“Disconnection between what the country is saying and what appears in the text”.
Countries blame game.
Abatement technologies still on the spotlight in the draft GST.
“COP28: litmus test for success on fossil fuel has out”
It was a panel from https://stand.earth with representatives of Indian tribes and islands.
“There is no language enough when we are desecrating Mother Earth”. (representative of Navajo Indians)
“We saw top negotiators from our islands crying after the draft GST”. (Reference to Mrs. Sharon-Mona Ainuu, Minister of Natural Resources of the small island nation of Niue. Her testimony is in the last 3 paragraphs of this article from UN News.
“1,5°C is a matter of survival to our islands”.
“How to go home and tell our people that the World told us out?”
What happened with the “Leave no one behind” central promise of the 2030 Agenda for UNS’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)?
Before we close the day.
It took a decade for Loss and Damage to became reality, as you can read in this article from UNFCCC “Loss and Damage in Focus: 10 Years of the Warsaw International Mechanism”
About the consensus process adopted at COP, depending on your country (culture), the same outcome might be perceived differently, ranging from positive to negative. But this is exactly a consensual process: instead of being excellent for some and horrible for others, it might be “more of less” for everybody.
And no People and paparazzi section this last day, ok?
Our key takeaways
“Let’s see the outcome.”
And today is the last post directly from COP 28 in Dubai, we suggest that you also think for yourself. Or revise what we posted since November 30.
Subscribe to get our regular e-mails and follow us on social media. Details at www.carboncreditmarkets.com
