COP28: A global call to address climate change

While Filipinos are agog with the “Kathniel” breakup, more serious issues are raging in another part of the Earth – the action-discussion on the fate of humanity – the inevitable climate change.

From Nov. 30 to Dec. 12, world leaders gathered in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with one single mission: to curb climate change. This is called the Conference of Parties (COP) and is now in its 28th iteration; hence, its name is COP28. The official name of the climate conferences, however, is the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC), which has been happening since 1995. The Conference is a two-week summit where world leaders, politicians, scientists, and experts discuss the climate crisis on a global level.

I remember when former US Vice President Al Gore was discussing global warming in his 2006 book “An Inconvenient Truth.” He precisely pointed out that the Earth is warming at an alarming rate, and if it reaches 2 degrees Celsius, there is no turning back. During that time, Gore said the Earth has warmed to at least 1 degree Celsius. Today, COP28 affirmed that the Earth has warmed by 1.5 degrees Celsius. It will only take a matter of time before the planet heats up to 2 degrees Celsius. And if that happens, humanity will be in peril.

The warming of planet Earth results in extreme weather situations. We don’t have to look far to understand the effects of climate change. Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) devastated the Philippines in November 2013. More than 6,000 people perished and displaced 600,000 more. Yolanda was not only the strongest typhoon to visit the country but also the strongest typhoon on the planet during that time.

The effects of global warming are severe storms, droughts, flooding, and heat waves, among others. These are being experienced in various parts of the world, and millions are suffering from their devastation.

COP28 is an important event, considering that scientists are certain that 2023 will be the hottest year on record. This means that global warming continues, and it will take global action for it to stop. It is quite a feat for the United Nations to convene a global body to tackle climate change. To put it bluntly, climate change is the primary issue that affects global society. Not even the Kathniel breakup can deter the occurrence of climate change. Of course, we understand that showbiz events serve as entertainment for millions of Filipinos. With the advent of social media, these are being blown to the highest proportions.

But perhaps Filipinos give more attention to showbiz events than climate change. Al Gore also mentioned that people do not pay attention to climate change because they have yet to be affected. His statement “out of sight, out of mind” still reverberates in my mind as people and governments continue to ignore climate change as it happens.

Twenty-eight years into the COP, the same issues continue to hound it. For one, agreement on global policies remains a significant challenge. Negotiations on implementing agreements that satisfy the diverse interests and needs of nations pose a considerable obstacle. The use of fossil fuels became a contentious issue throughout the conference.

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) defines fossil fuel as energy formed in the Earth’s crust, such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas from decayed organic material. Fossil fuel emissions were singled out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as the dominant cause of global warming. It even went further to state that in 2018, 89 percent of global CO2 emissions came from fossil fuels.

But even before COP28 was able to take off, the COP presidency was questioned by some quarters since UN conference president Sultan Al Jaber is the head of an oil firm, thus clouding his stand on the phase-out of fossil fuels. This was further exacerbated by his previous statement, “There is no science” that indicates that a phase-out of fossil fuels is needed to restrict global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. This was further complicated when he said a phase-out of fossil fuels is not sustainable “unless you want to take the world back into the caves.” Environmental activists immediately questioned the propriety and effectiveness of the COP president.

But even before the summit started, more than 100 countries have expressed their position to see a phase-out of fossil fuels. These countries include the United States and the European Union. Much as naysayers would want to say, COP28 ended with a call to “transition away” from fossil fuels. COP28 has approved a roadmap on how to transition from fossil fuels – a first for a UN climate conference. We hope that this is indeed the direction of the conference and that developed countries will do their share in curbing climate change.

It is not only world leaders that are taking the lead on the issue of climate change. In November of this year, 400 children from 158 schools in Quezon City participated in the Children’s Summit 2023, which focused on climate change mitigation and its effects on children. All over the world, children are being empowered to participate in climate change discussions and learn how they can contribute to curbing climate change and global warming.

There is indeed hope. World leaders, children who will be tomorrow’s leaders, are taking their stand to make the planet a habitable place to live in.

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in the foregoing article are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the Philippine News Agency (PNA) or any other office under the Presidential Communications Office.