Analysis of Dubai, UAE UNFCCC-COP28 Decisions

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The annual climate change summits, held in various regions of the world, have become the most important forum for global geopolitical interactions, making it a topical issue in the contemporary world.

The high-stakes global climate change conferences bring together world leaders, technical experts, activists, and people from all walks of life. These forums are an opportunity to reflect on the latest scientific developments, share ideas and challenges, and cultivate consensus to defeat the single-most existential threat to the survival of humanity and the health of the planet – climate change. The conferences feature high-level convergences, dawn-to-dusk negotiations, side-events on diverse themes and sectors, and protests. Everyone is welcome, regardless of their power, wealth, or nationality.

This analysis is premised on the COP28 final Decisions, drawing from two critical Positions that greatly rallied African people in the Countdown to Dubai; the Africa Climate Summit (ACS) viewed together with the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), and the PACJA Position that articulates the overall African civil society standpoints under the Non-State Actors (NSAs) Steering Committee, established during the ACS.

The analysis underscores significance of COP28 as it marks a critical juncture in international dialogue on climate change, eight years since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, affording the global community an opportunity to assess the progress of the implementation of the Agreement under the first Global Stocktake (GST). The Global Stocktake, that has so far offered a comprehensive assessment of the global progress since adopting the Paris Agreement, highlights not only gaps across all frontiers for implementation of climate response actions, but and proposes necessary measures to bridge gaps and realign efforts for effective climate action.

Africa had clear priorities at COP28, as articulated by the AGN and these can be summarized as follows:

1. An ambitious decision under the work programme on just transition pathways that operationalise equity in the pathways for mitigation, adaptation and finance under the Paris Agreement and is cognizant of the continent’s unique needs and circumstances. This should ensure a fair and equitable shift to a low-carbon and climate resilient development.
2. Enhanced mitigation ambition and implementation by Developed Countries. The Developed countries should scale up their mitigation actions and provide necessary support to developing countries to contribute their fair share of climate action.
3. Developed countries should update and implement their NDCs and long-term strategies in a credible, ambitious manner, in line with COP26 decisions and the scientific evidence provided by the IPCC Working Group III report, that aligns short- and long-term policy goals with a 1.5°C pathway.
4. Enhanced support should be provided for developing countries to implement their ambitious NDCs in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.
5. The call for climate finance, and radical reform of global financial architecture was loud during the Africa climate summit. In addition to the 100B per year up to 2020 pledge by rich countries, this should be an important element not to be obscured
6. Developed countries must provide finance and facilitate investments needed for Just Transitions pathways.
7. The work programme on urgently scaling up mitigation ambition and implementation in this decade needs to accelerate real world actions towards addressing the existing mitigation gap and related goals of the Paris Agreement.
8. Recognition of Africa as special needs and circumstances region …Read More: COP28 Outcome Analysis, December 2023 – English         French