Despite Biden’s absence, COP28 anticipates significant global advocacy for an unprecedented agreement to phase out carbon-emitting coal, oil, and gas…reports Asian Lute News
US President Joe Biden will not attend the COP28 gathering of world leaders in Dubai this week, as confirmed by a US official on Sunday. The decision, reported earlier by The New York Times, reflects uncertainties due to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and the intensification of his presidential campaign in January.
The White House released Biden’s Thursday schedule, revealing prior commitments such as a bilateral meeting with President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço of the Republic of Angola and attendance at the National Tree Lighting event. These conflicting engagements influenced his choice to skip COP28 in Dubai.
Despite Biden’s absence, COP28 anticipates significant global advocacy for an unprecedented agreement to phase out carbon-emitting coal, oil, and gas. The absence of the US President, who participated in previous COP summits since 2021, underscores the challenges in balancing international commitments amid pressing domestic and global concerns.
Hosted by the United Arab Emirates, a major oil and gas producer, the event expects participation from numerous world leaders, senior ministers, and officials representing 198 nations, along with around 70,000 delegates. The Dubai gathering marks the largest annual COP held within the 1992 UN convention on climate change framework.
Taking place at Expo City Dubai from 30th November to 12th December, COP28 will is expected to witness many announcements on realistic and inclusive solutions to the global climate crisis, from just energy transition paths to climate finance and adaptation.
With the Summit starting this week, Power Shift Africa has published a report that issues a call for decisive and unprecedented action to combat the escalating climate crisis.
With 2023 poised to be the hottest year ever recorded, the UN Secretary-General declared that this year marks the end of global warming and the onset of global boiling. This urgency is magnified in Africa where there has been drought in the Horn of Africa, causing unprecedented death and suffering, in a continent least responsible for the climate crisis.
Even the most polluting nations are not immune to the climate crisis, with recent floods in New York and Dubai serving as a stark reminder that mere words and pledges won’t thwart the destructive power of the climate crisis. As COP28 is beginning on November 30, the big question is; Will this summit step up and provide an unprecedented response to the global climate crisis?