COP 28 is taking place in Dubai, hosted by the United Arab Emirates. It's a difficult sell for an oil-producing country to host a cop because they have plans to increase their capacity to produce fossil fuels. But COPs are the only place where developing countries hold the emitters to a current. And that's who Solzhen Arjabar will have to look in the eye.
Every year, the world’s leaders gather for the UN climate change conference. At Cop28, they will be faced with two stark warnings from scientists: we are likely to breach 1.5C warming above pre-industrial levels in the next five years, and we are on course to reach 2.7C of warming by the end of the century. Progress has never been more critical and this year it lies in the hands of the United Arab Emirates, a country that has plans to expand its already extensive oil and gas productions. With six months to go, Madeleine Finlay talks to environment correspondent Fiona Harvey about Cop28’s hosts and president, why this year is particularly key, and how close we are getting to irreversible climate tipping points. Help support our independent journalism at
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