UNFCCC 28 In Dubai (November 30 – December 12, 2023)

The 28th session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC 28), established by the United Nations, will be held at EXPO City Dubai from November 30 to December 12, 2023 and will be attended by numerous delegations from around the world.

UNFCCC 28 will be a defining event for the future of the planet, which is increasingly at risk, requiring an urgent action plan to tackle the climate crisis. The conference will become the occasion for the first global assessment of climate action (Global Assessment, GST), as set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement signed at UNFCCC 21. Therefore, the time has come at Dubai to sum up and evaluate the efforts made in recent years by governments, communities, and businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change, and increase financing.

The need is even more urgent in light of the proliferation of extreme weather events documented in various studies and now in plain sight: drought and record temperatures in the summer of 2023, devastating fires and floods, accelerated melting of glaciers, loss of polar ice caps, and rising sea levels.

Pope Francis was also scheduled to be among them, but the trip was canceled at the last minute due to health problems.

The conference will begin on Thursday, November 30, with the first three days of the summit open to delegates only, including a major meeting of heads of state and government on December 1 and 2. These meetings will take place in the “blue zone,” reserved for heads of state, accredited government officials, and the media, and will be managed by the UN. Then, December 3 through 10 will be the thematic days of energy, nature, transport, oceans, and cities.

Meanwhile, the Green Zone, located in Expo City Dubai’s sustainability district, which will be open to the public for most of the conference, hosts interactive exhibitions, art installations, film screenings, and more than 300 conferences and discussions on climate change and sustainability. These include a wide variety of free events and master classes that will last until December 12.

The last two days of the conference are entirely devoted to final negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement between the parties, and, as always, a final relay and late-night negotiations are to be expected.

Following the negotiations, an agreement is expected to be signed between 198 participating states.