Struggling to keep up with COP28? We’ve curated a summary of the top news and announcements from the climate conference, to help you stay informed.
Day 14: The final negotiations (continued)
December 13th
- After a marathon of negotiations, governments reached a landmark agreement at COP28, committing to a “transition away” from fossil fuels, marking a significant departure from past climate talks.
Day 12 & 13: The final negotiations
December 11 & 12th
- A draft of the COP28 text was released on Monday (December 11), prompting outrage from small island nations, the African Group, and major economies like Germany over its “weak” language on fossil fuels.
- The summit has now gone into overtime as leaders seek to come to a consensus on the topic, meaning COP28 now joins the long list of climate summits since 2004 that have not finished on time.
Day 11: Food, land use & agriculture
December 10
- Water-resilient food systems: World leaders convened for the first-ever COP Ministerial dialogue on building water-resilient food systems, emphasising the interlinked nature of water and food security. (read more)
- Prioritising interlinked efforts: Fifteen countries pledged to prioritise coordinated efforts on water and food, recognising their interconnectedness and the need for holistic solutions.
- Freshwater challenge: Over 43 nations joined the Freshwater Challenge, committing to protect and restore 30% of the planet’s degraded freshwater ecosystems by 2030. (read more)
- International support: International institutions unveiled a three-year support package to help countries unlock finance for sustainable agriculture and food systems. (read more)
- Alliance for transformation: Governments launched the Alliance of Champions on Food Systems Transformation, raising ambition and addressing implementation gaps to drive systemic change.
Day 10: Nature, land use and oceans
December 9
- Sustainable ocean management: World leaders committed to bringing half the world’s oceans under 100% sustainable management by 2030, safeguarding marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
- Mangrove research centre launch: The International Mangrove Research Center was established to advance scientific research and conservation efforts for these vital coastal ecosystems. (read more)
- Mangroves alliance expansion: New countries joined the Mangroves Alliance for Climate, aiming to restore and protect 15 million hectares of mangroves globally, contributing to carbon sequestration and coastal protection.
- Environmental commitments from businesses and investors: Over 150 businesses and financial institutions pledged significant steps towards environmental sustainability, aligning their operations with sustainable practices.
- Joint statement on climate, nature, and people: Representatives from COP28 and the Convention on Biodiversity COP15 adopted a Joint Statement to ensure integrated action for climate, biodiversity, and human well-being. (read more)
- Sustainable timber use partnership: A joint commitment on sustainable timber use was established to support forest conservation and promote responsible timber sourcing by 2025.
Day 9: Youth, children, education & skills day
December 8
- Climate education inclusion: Nations agreed to incorporate climate education into their national plans, recognising its crucial role in raising climate literacy and driving action.
- Youth stocktake report launch: The Youth Stocktake Report was unveiled, providing a comprehensive analysis of youth participation in climate negotiations and a roadmap for enhancing youth inclusion in decision-making processes. (read more)
- Second mandated youth climate forum: The Dubai Youth Climate Dialogue hosted the second-ever Mandated Youth Climate Forum, providing a platform for young voices to share their perspectives and contribute to climate solutions.
- Green skills fair for young people: The Green Skills Fair encouraged young people to expand their knowledge and networks in sustainable practices, empowering them to become catalysts for change. (read more)
- UAE’s youth-focused initiatives: The UAE announced a funding package for African youth health and a second iteration of the UAE Youth Climate Delegate Program, demonstrating its commitment to empowering young leaders. (read more)
- Global framework for youth, peace, and climate security: Commitments were made to establish a global framework on youth, peace, and climate security, recognising the interlinkages between these critical areas.
- RewirEd summit spotlight on climate education: The RewirEd Summit placed climate education at the forefront of the COP28 agenda, highlighting its importance in fostering a generation of climate-conscious leaders. (read more)
Day 8: Official rest day of the summit
December 7
- No updates today: The COP28 venue was closed on Thursday, 7 December. No official meetings took place.
Day 7: Urban resilience, and sustainable transport
December 6
- Cement and buildings breakthroughs unveiled: The Cement and Buildings Breakthroughs were initiated to expedite the transition to sustainable buildings by 2030. (read more)
- UAE’s Waste to Zero initiative takes off: The UAE’s Waste to Zero Initiative was launched to scale up solutions for decarbonizing waste management and reducing its environmental impact. (read more)
- Waste MAP: A global platform for methane monitoring: Waste MAP, the first-ever global platform utilising satellite monitoring to track and measure methane emissions from waste, was facilitated. (read more)
- Accelerating the rollout of zero-emission vehicles: The Road Transport Breakthrough was supported, bringing together stakeholders to accelerate the deployment of zero-emission vehicles by 2030.
Ministerial meeting on supporting urban resiliency: In collaboration with UN-HABITAT, a ministerial meeting was hosted to discuss strategies for supporting urban environments to withstand climate challenges and promote sustainable development. (read more)
Day 6: Accelerating energy transformation and just transition
December 5
Global coalition fosters carbon management: A consortium of 18 countries joined the Carbon Management Challenge, aiming to store CO2 on a gigaton scale by 2030.
- Hydrogen and derivatives gain global recognition: Thirty-nine nations endorsed the COP28 UAE Declaration on Hydrogen and Derivatives, highlighting their potential to revolutionise energy systems. (read more)
- Powering past coal alliance gains momentum: The UAE, alongside other countries, reaffirmed its commitment to phase out coal power and embrace cleaner energy sources by joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance. (read more)
Methane emissions mitigation efforts intensified: The Near Zero Methane Action Agenda was launched, urging a significant increase in investments to curb methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. (read more)
Day 5: Mobilising finance and implementing commitments
December 4
The focus turned to operationalising the ambitious commitments made throughout the week.
- UAE banks pledge sustainable finance: UAE banks made a commitment to provide $272 billion in sustainable finance, demonstrating their commitment to climate action. (read more)
- Multilateral development banks unleash climate finance: Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) played a pivotal role in unlocking essential climate finance, empowering countries to transition towards a low-carbon future.
- Abu Dhabi global market establishes global climate finance centre: Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) inaugurated the Global Climate Finance Centre, a hub dedicated to facilitating sustainable investments and connecting investors with climate-focused opportunities. (read more)
Operationalising the declaration framework: COP28 intensified efforts to operationalise the framework established through the Declaration, ensuring a clear pathway towards achieving global climate goals.
Day 4: Health, relief, recovery, and peace
December 3
COP28 brought together these critical themes, highlighting the interconnectedness of climate change with health, resilience, and peace.
- Climate-health ministerial: Over 100 health ministries committed to action in the first-ever climate-health ministerial, demonstrating the growing recognition of the health-climate nexus.
- Funding for neglected tropical diseases and community health workers: Significant investments were announced, including $777 million for neglected tropical diseases and $900 million for community health workers. (read more)
- Declaration on climate relief, recovery, and peace: This declaration addressed the acute finance gap in vulnerable and fragile settings, committing $1.2 billion to climate action in these communities.
Charter on getting ahead of disasters: Thirty-five countries and organisations signed this charter to disburse funds in advance of credible predicted climate disasters.
Day 3: Energy transition takes centre stage
December 2
The focus shifted to accelerating the global energy transition, with a series of ambitious announcements.
- Global Decarbonisation accelerator launched: This initiative aims to accelerate decarbonisation across energy-producing and heavy-emitting sectors. (read more)
- Methane emission reductions: Fifty oil and gas companies committed to eliminating methane emissions by 2030 and achieving full decarbonisation by 2050. (read more)
Renewable energy and energy efficiency: A collective pledge by 118 countries to triple global renewables capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030 signified a commitment to clean energy solutions. (read more)
Day 2: Global leaders converge, historic declaration launched
December 1
COP28 welcomed over 160 world leaders and heads of state, showcasing the global importance of climate action.
- Declaration on a global climate finance framework: This declaration outlined a comprehensive approach to mobilising climate finance, committing to ambitious targets and initiatives. (read more)
- UAE launches $30 billion climate investment vehicle: The UAE announced a significant commitment to climate action with the establishment of a $30 billion climate investment vehicle. (learn more)
- World Bank increases climate finance targets: The World Bank ratcheted up its climate finance commitments, aiming to reach $40 billion by 2025. (read more)
- Further Loss and Damage commitments: Major countries and organisations reiterated their commitment to supporting Loss and Damage efforts.
- Declaration on agriculture and food: This declaration recognised the critical role of agriculture and food systems in addressing climate change.
- Climate and nature initiatives: Over $5 billion was pledged to climate and nature initiatives, including investments in sustainable agriculture and biodiversity conservation. (read more)
Food-climate agenda: A significant portion of funds, amounting to $2.5 billion, was dedicated to advancing the food-climate agenda, tackling climate impacts on food systems and promoting sustainable food choices. (read more)
Day 1: The conference begins
November 30
The opening day of COP28 was marked by a series of breakthroughs, setting the tone for the week ahead.
- Agreement reached on Loss and Damage: After years of negotiations, countries finally reached an agreement on Loss and Damage, recognising the need to support vulnerable communities affected by climate change. (read more)
- Mobilisation of funds: Within an hour of the agreement, over $420 million was pledged to support Loss and Damage initiatives.
- Agile agenda setting: The negotiation agenda was agreed and adopted, demonstrating the collective commitment to making progress.
COP Presidency installed: Dr. Sultan Al Jaber was formally appointed COP President, signalling the UAE’s leadership in driving climate action. (read more)
