BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - AS the Conference on Parties 28 (COP28) gets underway today (Nov. 30) in Dubai, funding for Loss and Damage, Increasing Temperature and Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emission are some of the key topics on the agenda for this year’s meeting.
President of the United Nations General Assembly, Dennis Francis had outlined several areas that he would seek to have addressed during the two-week meeting.
In a press briefing, Francis pointed to the need to conclude work and operationalize the funds and funding arrangements for Loss and Damage; the need to support the COP28 Presidency’s bid to triple renewable energy capacity; the need to urgently and dramatically scale up support for adaptation, including delivering on a Global Goal on Adaptation and exponentially driving up finances; and, importantly, the need for unity and solidarity.
His comments came as the world this year recorded its hottest days and months since temperature readings were taken, while in other instances there was severe rainfall resulting in major flooding.
Meanwhile, it is against that backdrop that countries at today’s opening adopted a damage fund that would see nations impacted by the heat and flooding being compensated, with developed nations pledging millions towards the fund.
Sultan Al Jaber, laid out a motion which was passed unanimously.
Following the passage of that motion, territories have begun pledging to the fund, with host nation Dubai and Germany pledging $100 million and the United Kingdom pledging $76 million.
