What really happened at COP-28 in Dubai: A personal view

Abstract

This article describes the most meaningful developments at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP-28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which took place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 30 – December 13, 2023. This is done, in part, by reflecting on the history of these annual meetings, drawing on the author's experience of participating annually over a period of sixteen years. This history reveals the evolution over time that has taken place in the relative importance in the annual meetings of the official negotiations compared with the simultaneous participation of civil society. The press coverage of COP-28 is examined, along with the important role played by two countries – China and the United States, the dramatic increase in attention given to methane, and two disappointments, one associated with funding for adaptation, and the other connected with provisions for carbon markets.