Thursday marks day one of summit in Dubai that could determine whether world can limit global temperature rises to 1.5C
Simon Stiell, the executive secretary of the UN climate convention, the international framework which governs Cop28, has given a call to arms to all nations as the summit begins:
This year’s climate conference comes as the crisis enters a new phase – and shows its full force, harming billions of people, and costing trillions. Now everyone is on the frontlines. No country is immune.
Yet most governments are still taking baby steps, when bold strides are urgently needed. So, the problem is clear: business-as-usual is breaking our planet. At the COP28 climate conference, leaders must get to work fixing it.
Obviously I am strongly in favour of language that includes (a) phaseout, even with a reasonable time framework.
We have the potential, the technologies and the capacity and the money – because the money is available, it’s a question of making sure it goes into the right direction- to do what is necessary, not only to keep the 1.5 degrees alive, but alive and well.
