COP28: A Turning Point For The World

Today the eyes of the world focus on the COP26 summit, described as a ‘critical moment in global transformative climate action.’

World leaders meet together in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for the inaugural session of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), in a global call to arms.

Scheduled from November 30 to December 12, COP28 will assemble representatives of parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including the European Union and its member states.

COP28: Keynote Speech

In one of the opening speeches, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell sought to inspire his audience. He began by addressing the seriousness of the situation: ‘. . . let’s be clear, this is a heavy responsibility.’

‘Because this has been the hottest year ever in humanity. So many terrifying records were broken. We are paying with people’s lives and livelihoods. We’re standing at a precipice. Facing the Global Stocktake.

Without naming any specific names he went on to acknowledge the efforts of activists in bringing climate issues to the fore: ‘We are indebted to young people and to civil society for having pushed us this far. They are looking at us to take responsibility for speeding things up.’

King Charles Addresses COP28

This morning King Charles passionately appealed for environmental conservation. In his keynote address, he emphasized his lifelong commitment to raising awareness about the perils of global warming.

He drew attention to the severe impacts of natural disasters in countries like India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, emphasizing their devastating effects.

The King expressed grave concerns over the rapid ecological changes outpacing nature’s capacity to adapt. He posed a critical question about the extent of risks humanity is willing to accept by altering the planet’s ecological balance.

His speech was met with admiration from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who expressed pride in witnessing the King’s address and lauded it as reflective of the country’s leadership style

Representing the EU will be Charles Michel, President of the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. The EU’s participation will be primarily coordinated by the European Commission in collaboration with the Spanish Council presidency.