Policy Backgrounders

COP 28 in Dubai

November 21, 2023

Nearly 200 countries will meet in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from November 30-December 12 at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to discuss the United Nations Framework Agreement on Climate Change (also called the Paris Agreement). As in the past, the meeting is expected to feature sharp differences in emphasis between developed and developing countries, some announcements on national strategies, but likely little agreement on tackling the crisis.

• Holding the COP in a major oil producer has been controversial, but the UAE has also put forward aggressive emissions reduction targets.
• The UN believes global temperatures have already risen 1.4 degrees above pre-industrial levels, virtually the entire amount contemplated in the Paris Agreement. This year will be the hottest ever recorded, about 1.43 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average.
• Climate finance will continue to be a major focus of discussion; it is unlikely the parties will agree to a specific date for a phase out of fossil fuel production.
• Significant announcements on methane emissions reduction are possible.