Insights from COP28 ??

COP28 UAE is over.

The 28th edition of the UN climate change conference took place in Dubai from the 30th of November to the 12th of December. As a global leader in climate action, the EU was present in the negotiations and organised more than 90 side events. ????

We talked to one of our scientists about his experience at COP28. Giacomo Grassi works at the European Commission 's Joint Research Centre (JRC). He is a member of the IPCC Task Force Bureau for AR7 and has contributed to several IPCC reports.

Read our interview with him below ??

What was the mood like at COP28? Was it more pessimistic or optimistic?

On the day before the final day, the mood was rather pessimistic. But then, at the last moment, a much better?comprise?was found, calling on countries to "transition away" from fossil fuels in the energy systems.

Since it's the first time that fossil fuels are mentioned in a COP decision, it?was widely seen as an important step forward, possibly the biggest since the Paris Agreement in 2015.

We should nevertheless remember that COP decisions only indicate directions. The translation of this indication is done by countries, taking into account the "common but differentiated?responsibilities?and respective?capabilities".

The real measure of the success of this COP will be the level of implementation of this indication.

How did your side events go? Were the discussions productive?

I attended four?side events, including?two high-level ones. The first high-level one was in the German pavillon, on?Nature-based Solutions meet Circular Economy, and included two German Ministers.

The second one was organised by the JRC in the EU pavillon, on the value and challenge of providing?science support to policy makers,?and saw the presence of JRC Director-General Stephen Quest and IPCC chair Jim Skea.

Both of these events were successful and triggered interesting debates, for example on the value of the circular economy and on the role of the IPCC in the COP process.

How did this COP compare to previous ones you’ve attended?

This COP saw an unprecedented participation, close to 100,000 participants. The venue was huge, and everything was very well organised.

In recent years, the focus of these conferences has shifted from tools and pledges to implementation. In that respect, it is partly understandable?to see a wider participation of a wider variety of stakeholders.

What are your key takeaways from COP28?

The final text gives me hope that the energy transition has not only started, but that it is also unstoppable. To stay within the climate targets of the Paris Agreement,?we need to implement this transition?as fast we we can. We have actionable?solutions to do so - the main challenge is doing it?in an equitable manner.