An unforgettable experience at Dubai COP28 Climate Summit, new steps for a sustainable future
The COP Climate Summit is an important event organised every year in line with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which offers member countries the opportunity to set their goals, define their responsibilities and evaluate climate measures. The journey of the UNFCCC, which started with the Rio Summit in 1992 and reached its peak with the Paris Agreement in 2015, aims to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and to adapt to the current climate change impacts.
The COP28 Climate Summit held in Dubai this year was an important milestone in the global climate change struggle. Hosted by the United Arab Emirates, which has supported the climate agenda since 1971, the COP28 Climate Summit decided to triple renewable energy capacity and double the pace of energy efficiency by 2030 as a global decarbonisation initiative. With the signature of 118 countries, this historic decision was an important step in the fight against climate change. Thus, the UAE once again demonstrated its leadership in the energy and sustainability sectors at this summit.
Two days, one panel and dozens of meetings
At the summit, I had the honour of moderating the panel “What is Climate Change from the Perspective of MÜSİAD Members and What Should be Done?” This experience was much more than just a panel moderation for me.
Lisa Guarrera (Director of OMEC Monitoring and Modelling Department), who participated as the main speaker in the panel held at the Turkish Pavilion, addressed the topic of ‘Mediterranean Energy Perspectives and Focus on Turkey’. Panelists Altuğ Karataş shared important information on ‘MÜSİAD Climate Change Manifesto and Energy Efficiency Practices in Industry’, İsmail Hakkı Karaca on ‘MÜSİAD Model for Making Cities Carbon Neutral’, Serhat Kısakürek on ‘Financial Sustainability Risks and Opportunities in Turkey’ and Sezai Uzun on ‘Turkey Model Carbon Credits and Green Certificates’. In the MUSIAD special session, we had the opportunity to convey the sustainability activities that will reduce the impact of climate change to the whole world from the UAE.
At the summit, I had the opportunity to meet and chat with many presidents and ministers, including President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, President Emmerson Dambudzo of Zimbabwe, President Bola Ahmed of Nigeria, President Joko Widodo of Indonesia and President Lula da Silva of Brazil. Exchanging ideas with the presidents, ministers and many other state leaders whom I had the opportunity to meet and chat with in a short period which were the most valuable moments of the summit for me.
It is worth mentioning that at the end of the COP28 Climate Summit, Dubai handed over the flag to Baku and COP29 will take place in Azerbaijan. The discussions on the hosting of COP29 lasted for two weeks. Disagreements in the Eastern European group were resolved with Moscow supporting Baku’s application.
As a result…
COP28 was more than just a summit, it was a platform that demonstrated the power of unity and co-operation in the global climate struggle. The Summit once again demonstrated the importance of new steps and global co-operation in the fight against climate change. We should not forget that we must move forward together to build a more sustainable and greener world for our future.