COP28: Conclusions, Controversies, and Challenges Ahead

COP28, the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, was held in Dubai from 30 November to 13 December 2023. It was bound to be a controversial COP, being held in the UAE, whose economy is heavily dependent on oil and gas. That said, among the many outcomes from the negotiations was the agreement to “transition away from fossil fuels" (as opposed to phasing out of all fossil fuels) and US$700 million being pledged to the "loss and damage" fund (which falls short of the estimated $400bn damage caused by climate change each year.) So what were the controversies and highlights at COP28, and more importantly, what lies ahead following these negotiations, for an already climate-impacted world? We discuss this and more with Meenakshi Raman, the President of Sahabat Alam Malaysia and the Head of Programmes at the Third World Network (TWN).

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