WMO chief Petteri Taalas spoke of a “deafening cacophony of broken records” at the start of the COP28 global climate conference in Dubai. There will be discussions there on Wednesday about disaster relief for poor countries.
According to climate experts from the United Nations (UN), 2023 will likely be the hottest year since industrialization. The difference in relation to the previously warmer years of 2016 and 2020 was so great at the end of October that November and December could hardly change anything, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in its preliminary report on the state of the world’s climate.
She published it on Thursday, at the start of the COP28 world climate conference in Dubai. The definitive report will only be released in the first half of 2024.
The global average temperature was 1.4 degrees above average in 2023
Until October inclusive, the global average temperature was 1.4 degrees above the average for the years 1850 to 1900. So far, 2016 is considered the hottest year, with a further 1.3 degrees above pre-industrial levels. The year 2020 was just behind 2016. In July, August, September and October of this year, global average temperatures reached monthly records. What was particularly notable was that the global average sea surface temperature recorded maximum values for every month since April.
WMO chief Petteri Taalas spoke of a “deafening cacophony of broken records”. “We must act now to limit the risks of an increasingly inhospitable climate this century and beyond.”
Proposal for funds to combat climate disasters
Climate experts hope that Dubai’s more than 190 countries will adopt measures to more quickly transform their economies towards climate-neutral growth. The conference began on Thursday with discussions on humanitarian aid to poor countries. On Thursday, delegates from almost 200 countries were presented with a proposal to create a fund to deal with the consequences of climate disasters, such as floods or droughts.
The real focus of the two-week UN meeting is the first global agreement on a phase-out of the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, which are blamed for the rise in the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. and therefore global. heating.
The United Arab Emirates hosts this year’s World Climate Conference. The head of the UAE’s state oil company, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, was also officially named president of the conference, despite criticism from environmental activists. The host of the last conference, Egyptian Samih Schukri, called Al-Jaber to the podium and resigned from his position before the plenary session.
The head of the UAE’s state oil company, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, at the opening of the UN climate summit. Portal/Amr Alfiky
EU wants China and UAE to participate in disaster funds
The UAE is counting on a quick agreement on the disaster fund to pave the way for the targeted reduction in global CO2 emissions. Diplomats expect Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands to announce contributions to the fund in the coming days, if it is created. It has been required by the poorest countries for years. The European Union has also promised a “substantial” contribution, but wants China and the United Arab Emirates to follow suit. The head of the COP28 summit, Adnan Amin, wants to raise several hundred million dollars.
A critical point in the negotiations is bridging the gap between industrialized countries and developing countries. The latter insist on an agreement to replace fossil fuels with clean energy. Furthermore, many non-industrially developed countries are reluctant to abandon fossil fuels, which they consider necessary for the growth of their economies.
Another focus of COP28 is an assessment of the state of efforts to limit global warming. Austria will be represented at COP28 by the Minister of the Environment, Leonore Gewessler (Greens) and the Minister of Finance, Magnus Brunner (ÖVP). Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen had to cancel his participation at short notice due to illness.