It is a historic success for many, and certainly the first highlight of the UAE’s presidency of the Cop28 conference, which opened yesterday in Dubai. With a minute of silence “For all civilians killed in the current conflict in Gaza”: On opening day, it was closed Agreeing to operate the Loss and Damage Fund, Which got the green light last year after thirty years of negotiations.
he’s there The first time a policeman was baptized on the spot by agreement, This is not at all clear, given the US reluctance to acknowledge some kind of compensation for countries most vulnerable to the climate crisis. The numbers that the leading powers put on the table are less impressive. One hundred million dollars for Emirati guests – and this is also a first: until now the Gulf states have insisted on defining themselves as “developing countries” and therefore not obligated to contribute to climate finance; Germany also 100; 60 million British pounds (about $76 million); 10 million for Japan and only 17.5 million for the United States (plus 7 for other initiatives). It remains to be seen whether China will also join the donor community, voluntarily as requested. But it’s not much, if we consider that the 2022 floods in Pakistan alone, according to the World Bank, caused at least $30 billion in damage.
In the evening, after presenting two amounts of contributions from 27 European Union countries, the EU Climate Commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, promised a total of “$225 million.” To get the final figure, we will have to wait for the interventions of heads of state and government. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will speak in the plenary hall today, the 17th of the first day of the so-called high-level summit dedicated to adaptation. It is one of the issues that our government focuses on a lot.
At the same time, the climate crisis is accelerating. The annual report of the World Meteorological Organization confirms that 2023 will certainly be the hottest year on record. The global average temperature is increasing by about 1.4 degrees Celsius Compared to the pre-industrial era, El Niño, which causes the temperature of the Pacific Ocean to rise, could exceed the maximum set by the Paris Agreements of 1.5 degrees. “We are on the brink,” warned Simon Steele, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Pope Francis, who withdrew for health reasons, urged negotiators in a post on…
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