According to IPCC, countries must reduce GHG emissions by 43% by 2030 to achieve the temperature goal set out in the Paris Agreement: 1.5° C. Countries are failing to agree to come anywhere close to that. A significant reason for this shortfall is the lack of financial, technical and capacity support for developing countries from the rich industrialised countries. This mismatch between the call for action and actual support for developing countries, where much of the future emissions growth will occur, lies at the heart of the deadlock being witnessed in Dubai. Earlier this week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged a deal at COP28 on the phase-out of fossil fuels, telling negotiators that ‘now is the time for maximum ambition and maximum flexibility’. He is now sounding like a stuck record.
Traditionally, mitigation has been the priority of the developed world, and adaptation has been a developing-world issue. However, with the Paris Agreement, developing countries are also trying to move to clean energy sources, setting targets for it. Unfortunately, the issue of adapting to the impacts of climate change and improving resilience has not got adequate attention. More critically, it has received less financial support than mitigation. This fault line continues to dog the global stocktaking roadmap being negotiated in Dubai, the latest iteration of which was out on Monday. There is a need to recognise that climate change requires collaborative action, which must be more than ‘Miss World’ pledges. It must provide the means to make them real.