COP28: Sustainable communities at the heart of climate action

COP28: Sustainable communities at the heart of climate action

Over 70,000 delegates are convening at COP28 in Dubai, making this annual climate summit one of the largest since the first COP was held in Berlin in 1995. The first Global Stocktake (GST) at the event will provide a comprehensive assessment of progress since the Paris Agreement, which was adopted in 2015 at COP21, where more than 190 countries agreed to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, but preferably to 1.5 degrees.

There has been a growing emphasis on climate action, with extreme climate events becoming more common, and global temperatures setting new records. The United Nations Emissions Gap Report 2023, published this month, also warns that as greenhouse gases (GHGs) that trap heat in the atmosphere continue to rise, our world is heading for a 2.5-2.9°C temperature increase above pre-industrial levels unless countries step up action and deliver more than promised in their 2030 pledges under the Paris Agreement. The report also shows that until the beginning of October, 86 days were recorded with temperatures over 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, while September was the hottest recorded month this year, with global average temperatures 1.8°C above pre-industrial levels. What’s more, global GHG emissions increased by 1.2 percent