COP28 (Dubai, UAE – 2023)

The 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) under the UNFCCC was held in November 2023 in Dubai, UAE.

Institutional Context

• CMA5: 5th Meeting of Parties to the Paris Agreement
• CMP18: 18th Meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol

👉 If COP26 built the rulebook and COP27 focused on justice and loss & damage, COP28 acted as a global reality check on whether the world is actually moving towards Paris goals.

🔍 Global Stocktake (GST): The Heart of COP28

What is the Global Stocktake?

The Global Stocktake (GST) is a five-yearly assessment mechanism created under the Paris Agreement (2015).

• Purpose: To evaluate collective global progress
• Focus areas:
  • Mitigation
  • Adaptation
  • Means of implementation (finance, technology, capacity building)

📌 COP28 marked the conclusion of the first-ever Global Stocktake.

Key Procedural Point

• The fifth iteration of the GST text was released and adopted without objection.
• This gives the GST strong political legitimacy, though it is not legally binding.

🌡️ GST Findings & the 1.5°C Pathway

The GST reaffirmed:

• Goal of well below 2°C
• Aspirational target of 1.5°C

To stay within 1.5°C, the GST outlined eight critical steps.

Eight-Step Action Framework

1️⃣ Triple global renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency improvements by 2030
2️⃣ Rapid phase-down of unabated coal and restrictions on new coal power permits
3️⃣ Accelerate transition to net zero energy systems by mid-century
4️⃣ Scale up zero and low-carbon technologies:

• Renewables
• Nuclear
• Carbon Capture
• Low-carbon hydrogen

5️⃣ Transition away from fossil fuels in a fair and equitable manner to reach net zero by ~2050
6️⃣ Reduce non-CO₂ emissions, especially methane, by 2030
7️⃣ Cut emissions in road transport via EVs and supporting infrastructure
8️⃣ Phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that promote wasteful consumption

👉 This is the clearest collective roadmap yet, but implementation remains the challenge.

⚡ Global Renewables & Energy Efficiency Pledge

Under this voluntary pledge, signatories agreed to:

• Triple global renewable capacity to 11,000 GW
• Double annual energy efficiency improvement to over 4% by 2030

India’s Position

🇮🇳 India did not sign this pledge.

Why?

• India prefers nationally determined pathways
• Avoids joining alliances outside the formal COP framework
• Seeks alignment with developmental realities

❄️ Global Cooling Pledge

• Signed by 63 countries, including the US
• India is not a signatory

Key Target

• 68% reduction in cooling-related emissions by 2050

Why Cooling Matters

• Cooling emissions come from:
  • Refrigerants (ACs, refrigerators)
  • Energy used for cooling
• Currently contribute ~7% of global GHG emissions

India’s Concern

• Cooling is essential for:
  • Healthcare
  • Food storage
  • Human survival in heat-prone regions

☢️ Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy

• Signed by 22 countries, led by the US
• Aim: Triple global nuclear capacity by 2050

Key Commitments

• Mobilise investment
• Encourage World Bank financing
• Extend life of existing plants
• Promote Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)

📌 SMRs:

• Capacity up to 300 MW(e)
• Safer, modular, and cost-effective

India’s Position

🇮🇳 India abstained, consistent with:

• Avoiding alliances outside COP
• Maintaining strategic autonomy

🌊 Loss and Damage Fund: From Promise to Operation

At COP28:

• Loss and Damage Fund was operationalised
• First announced at COP27

Key Details

• World Bank to act as interim trustee
• Contributions from:
  • Developed countries (US, UK, EU)
  • Some developing countries
• Scale and replenishment cycle unclear

👉 A historic moral step, but financial adequacy remains uncertain.

🏥 Declaration on Climate and Health

• Signed at COP28
• Focus: Integrate sustainability into healthcare systems

Historic First

• Climate–health nexus highlighted for the first time in 28 years

India’s Objection

• Declaration included reducing emissions from healthcare cooling
• India feared this could:
  • Affect medical services
  • Hurt remote and underserved regions

🩺 First-Ever Health Day at a COP

• COP28 hosted the first Health Day
• Focused on:
  • Reducing air pollution
  • Cutting health-sector emissions
  • Preventing premature deaths

🌾 Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA)

Established under the Paris Agreement (2015), GGA aims to:

• Enhance adaptive capacity
• Strengthen resilience
• Reduce vulnerability

COP28 Milestone

• First draft text on GGA released
• Lists seven adaptation targets, covering:
  • Food & water security
  • Climate-resilient infrastructure
  • Health
  • Ecosystems
  • Poverty reduction
  • Cultural heritage

💰 Climate Finance & NCQG

What is Climate Finance?

Large-scale investments for:

• Mitigation
• Adaptation

NCQG (New Collective Quantified Goal)

• To replace the $100 billion/year target
• Deadline: 2024

COP28 Development

The UN Conference on Trade and Development estimated:

• $500 billion should flow to developing countries in 2025

👉 This exposes the huge gap between climate needs and political commitments.

🌍 Other Important Highlights of COP28 (Dubai, 2023)

Beyond the Global Stocktake and major pledges, COP28 also witnessed several institutional, governance-oriented, and India-led initiatives. These are extremely important from a GS-III and Prelims perspective because UPSC often asks about new institutions, initiatives, and mechanisms.

🌊 Santiago Network for Loss and Damage

What is the Santiago Network?

The Santiago Network for Loss and Damage was established at COP25 (Madrid, Spain).

• Nature: Technical assistance network
• Purpose:
  • Coordinate technical support
  • Help vulnerable developing countries address climate change-induced loss and damage
• Works at:
  • Local
  • National
  • Regional levels

📌 It brings together:

• Organisations
• Expert bodies
• Knowledge networks

COP28 Breakthrough

• At COP28, countries finally agreed on hosting arrangements for the Santiago Network.

👉 This is crucial because institutions without hosts cannot function. COP28 converted the Santiago Network from a concept into an operational mechanism.

⚡ Coal Transition Accelerator

• Launched by France, in collaboration with multiple countries and organisations.
• Objective:
  • Support a just transition from coal to clean energy
• Focus areas:
  • Policy design
  • Capacity building
  • Mobilising finance
  • Technical expertise

👉 This initiative recognises that coal transition is not just an energy issue, but a socio-economic challenge.

🤝 Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnership (CHAMP)

What is CHAMP?

• A coalition aimed at strengthening multi-level climate governance.
• At COP28:
  • 65 national governments signed the CHAMP commitment.

Core Idea

To enhance cooperation between:

• National governments
• Sub-national governments (states, cities, local bodies)

Across:

• Planning
• Financing
• Implementation
• Monitoring of climate strategies

📌 This reflects the understanding that climate action is implemented locally, not just negotiated globally.

🇮🇳 India at COP28: Key Leadership Initiatives

India’s participation at COP28 was marked by a strong focus on rivers, people-centric climate action, and market-based environmental incentives.

🌊 Global River Cities Alliance (GRCA)

Launch & Leadership

• Launched at COP28
• Led by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti

What is GRCA?

• A global alliance of river cities
• Covers:
  • 275+ river cities worldwide
  • International funding agencies
  • Knowledge partners

Member Countries

🇮🇳 India | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 🇬🇭 Ghana | 🇦🇺 Australia | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | 🇯🇵 Japan | 🇭🇺 Hungary

Funding & Knowledge Partners

• World Bank
• Asian Development Bank (ADB)
• Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)

Significance

• First global initiative focused exclusively on:
  • River conservation
  • Sustainable water management
• Activities include:
  • Knowledge exchange
  • Capacity building
  • High-level advocacy
  • City-to-city cooperation

📌 GRCA expands the scope of India’s domestic River Cities Alliance to the global level.

🌱 Green Credit Initiative (India–UAE)

• India co-hosted the Green Credit Initiative at COP28 along with the UAE.

Core Philosophy

• Goes beyond carbon credits
• Focuses on:
  • Carbon sinks
  • People’s participation
• Emphasises:
  • Pro-planet
  • Proactive
  • Positive action

📌 It mirrors India’s Green Credits Programme (GCP) launched domestically.

🏭 LeadIT 2.0 (Leadership Group for Industry Transition)

• Phase II of LeadIT (LeadIT 2.0) was co-launched by India and Sweden at COP28.