The COP28 was an interesting affair. Lobbyists meandered their way once again to the UN summit in Dubai, naysayers continued to criticize each development, but there were a few positive outcomes as well. All this was in the realm of the set agenda.
However, some key issues—which are part of the collective value chain were missing. So as we sign off COP28 this week, I want to leave you with five key points that were missed in COP28.
1. Soil and Biodiversity loss :
Climate change and biodiversity loss are intertwined. Though COP28 mentioned the interconnection, there is no concrete plan to address the continuing decline in the ecosystem. Protecting, preserving, and nurturing diversity is key to a healthy and climate-resilient planet.
2. Insufficient focus on indigenous communities and climate justice:
Displacement and inequality (human rights) are the two significant impacts of climate. Likewise, though COP28 recognizes the vulnerability of indigenous peoples to climate change, it needs concrete measures to respect and support their traditional knowledge and leadership in adaptation and mitigation efforts. Their inclusion and empowerment are crucial for effective climate action.
3. Corporate/long-term accountability:
Countries, corporations, and communities announced their net-zero targets. However, there needs to be a clear mechanism to ensure their commitments they are credible, implementable, and achievable. Considering there is no major takeaway from the first-ever global stocktake in COP28, Greenwashing is a growing challenge.
4. Lacks targets on fossil fuel phase-out plan:
Phasing down is a practical and logical conclusion to transition away from fossil fuels. However, a clear and ambitious timeline for phasing out fossil fuels is missing in the COP28 final document. This weakens the Paris Agreement’s commitment to the 1.5°C target.
5. A concrete vision:
Am I the only one who felt the COP28 lacked long-term vision and accountability? I believe that the whole focus was on immediate action and measuring progress. This year, COP lacked a medium and long-term vision for achieving climate goals. What is required at this point is ambitious yet realistic targets beyond 2050. This coupled with transparent and robust accountability mechanisms, is crucial for a sustainable future.
