Some 170 world leaders are attending this year’s COP — a record for a climate conference according to the UAE, the host country. Across two days beginning December 1st, Friday, each will be entitled to make a three-minute address — though many have already gone well beyond the time frame, ignoring a sound reminding them of the limit.
Here is a running list of some highlights:
- Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, COP’s President stressed that, working in unison, it is possible to conquer even the most pressing situations. “We must remember that we are not powerless,” he said. “When we act with solidarity, we can overcome even the most daunting challenges. That is what gives me hope.”
- Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva touted the decline in Amazon deforestation that has occurred since he took office and pledged “zero deforestation” in the Amazon by 2030
- India’s Narendra Modi said his country would seek to host COP33 in 2028
- Leaders from many parts of the world described climate crises unfolding in their own countries: Battered coastlines and unpredictable harvests in Guinea-Bissau. Damage equivalent to 2 to 3 percent of gross domestic product in Tanzania. Extreme temperatures, sandstorms, and resulting poverty and migration in Iraq. The president of the Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, said his island nation was dealing with frequent storm surges and degraded infrastructure, diverting money away from modernization, education and “giving our people a better standard of living.”
- Underscoring geopolitical tensions, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan both detoured from the specific topic of climate change, speaking with alarm about the war in Gaza and the humanitarian consequences. “The incidents taking place in Gaza are a humanitarian crime, a war crime, and the perpetrators must be held accountable,” Erdogan said.
Source: COP28
