Tareq Hassan
Representative of the International Youth Council -Yemen
Chairman of the Arab Youth Sustainable Development Network
The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change at its twenty-eighth session (COP28), held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 30 November to 12 December 2023, resulted in several agreements, including the COP28 agreement, which sets the first “line for the end” of the 21-page era of fossil fuels, calling for “a shift towards the abandonment of fossil fuels in energy systems, in a fair, orderly and equitable manner, by accelerating work in this crucial decade, to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050 as recommended by science.” The transformation here therefore concerns the energy sector, not other sectors such as petrochemicals.
The landmark in the draft agreement was that, for the first time in the history of the series of United Nations climate conferences, it addressed all types of fossil fuels that are largely responsible for climate change.
Referring to global solidarity, some 200 parties to the Convention gathered in Dubai on a resolution on the world’s first “global outcome” process, aimed at promoting climate action before the end of the current decade. The overall objective of these efforts is to prevent global warming from rising by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.
What characterizes the United Nations Climate Conference (COP 28) is the set of commitments and compacts that emerged from the conference. On the first day of the conference, the President (COP 28) reached a historic agreement to activate a global climate fund and address its implications. International pledges were made to finance it for $792 million, many of which are:
– An international pledge of $3.5 billion was made to replenish the Green Climate Fund.
– Announcing $134 million for the Adaptation Fund.
– An announcement of $129.3 million to the LDC Fund.
– An announcement of $31 million to the Special Climate Change Fund.
One of the most notable achievements of COP 28 was the launch by the United Arab Emirates of a climate investment fund with an incentive capital of $30 billion, under the name Altera, which focuses on attracting and stimulating private financing. The fund aims to raise and stimulate an additional $250 billion worldwide.
It also announced the allocation of $200 million in special drawing rights to the Trust Fund for Solidarity and Sustainability and $150 million for water security. The World Bank announced an increase of $9 billion per year (2024 and 2025) to finance climate-related projects, and other multilateral development banks announced a further increase in climate action support of more than $22.6 billion.
Highlights of the commitments and declarations that have been made include:
- Cobb 28 (COP28) was approved to increase the productive capacity of renewable energy sources and to double energy efficiency by 130 countries.
- The Declaration of Cuba 28 (COP28) on food systems, sustainable agriculture, and climate action was approved by 153 countries.
- The Declaration on Climate and Health of Cuba 28 (COP28) was adopted by 141 countries.
- The Declaration on Climate Financing of Cuba 28 (COP28) was approved by 13 countries.
- The global refrigeration pledge has been approved by 66 states.
- The Declaration on Climate, Relief, Recovery, and Peace (COP28) was adopted by 78 states and 40 organizations.
- The Declaration of Cuba 28 (COP28) on low-emission hydrogen and its derivatives was approved by 37 countries.
- The Declaration on Gender Equality in Support of Climate Action (COP28) was adopted by 78 countries.
- The Alliance’s commitment to high-ambitious multi-level partnerships (CHAMP) has been endorsed by 67 countries.
- The Cobb 28 (COP28) oil and gas sector emission reduction charter was certified by 52 companies, representing 40% of world oil production.
- The Industrial Transition Accelerator approved 35 companies and six industrial associations, including the World Steel Association, the International Aluminum Institute, the World Renewable Energy Alliance, the World Cement and Concrete Society, the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, and the International Air Transport Union. Details of financial contributions to support climate action in COP28:
- Global Climate Fund to Address Consequences: $792 million.
- Green Climate Fund: $3.5 billion (increased second replenishment to $12.8 billion). Adaptation Fund: $134 million. Least Developed Countries Fund: $129.3 million.
- Special Climate Change Fund: $31 million. • Increasing the productive capacity of renewable energy: $5 billion. Refrigeration: $57 million. Clean cooking: $30 million. • Stimulating investments in clean energy: $568 million. Reducing CH4 emissions: $1.2 billion.
- Climate finance: $30 billion from the United Arab Emirates (in addition to $200 million in SDRs and $31.6 billion in multilateral development banks).
- Development of food and agricultural systems: $3.1 billion.
- Nature protection: $2.6 billion. Health: $2.9 billion.
- Water: $150 million.
- Gender equality: $2.8 million.
- Relief, recovery, and peace: $1.2 billion.
- National climate action in countries: $467 million.
Assist countries in strengthening their capacity to respond to the effects of climate change.
The parties involved reached a historic agreement on the release of the Loss and Damage Fund and arrangements for its financing, the first time that the parties had taken such a strong decision on the first day of the conference. The Fund soon received a stream of commitments, with a total of more than US$700 million.
On the agenda of the project to avoid loss and damage, the Conference made greater progress thanks also to the agreement reached by the Parties that the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and UNOPS would host the secretariat of the Santiago Network to avoid loss and damage, which would stimulate countries to provide technical assistance to developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse consequences of climate change. At the conference, parties agreed on the specific objectives and framework for the global goal of adaptation, which sets out the goals that the world must meet to acquire the capacity to address the impacts of climate change and to assess countries’ efforts in this regard. The framework for the global goal of adaptation reflects the world’s adaptation goals and the need for financing, technology, and capacity-building support to achieve these goals.
Increased climate finance
It was at the forefront of the conference, with Steel repeatedly described as “the great enabler of climate action.” The Green Climate Fund (GCF) received a strong push to replenish its resources for the second time, with six countries pledging new funding at COP 28, with total pledges now reaching a record US$ 12.8 billion from 31 countries.
Eight donor governments made new commitments to the Least Developed Countries Fund and the Special Climate Change Fund, totaling US$174 million, while new pledges totaling US$188 million were made to the Adaptation Fund at COP 28. However, as highlighted in the global assessment, these financial commitments are far less than the trillions needed ultimately to support developing countries in the transition to clean energy and the implementation of their national climate plans and initiatives. To provide such funding, the global assessment process emphasizes the importance of reforming the multilateral financial architecture and accelerating the establishment of new and innovative sources of financing.
Part of the Adaptation Fund negotiations photo credit to IYCY At COP 28,
Discussions continued on a “new collective quantitative target on climate finance” in 2024, taking into account the needs and priorities of developing countries. The new target, which will start from a baseline of US$100 annually, will be an essential building block for the design and implementation of national climate plans to be implemented by 2025. Given the transformations ahead of us towards carbon-free economies and societies, there was agreement that the mitigation action program at COP 27 last year would continue until 2030, with at least two global dialogues held each year.
Participation of Arab community organizations, youth, and stakeholders:
World leaders at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP28) joined civil society, business, indigenous peoples, youth, philanthropic foundations, and national organizations in a spirit of common determination to bridge the gaps until 2030. Some 85,000 participants attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) to exchange ideas and solutions and build partnerships. The decisions taken emphasize the critical importance of enabling all stakeholders to participate in climate action.
Arab organizations and youth participating in the Climate Conference played a role in raising awareness of climate change and participating in the mobilization and advocacy process on many issues related to the impact of climate change. Arab youth participated as speakers or participants in more than 30 high-level events and meetings. Arab civil society organizations organized more than 50 side events during the Climate Conference.
Daily coordination meetings of Arab organizations and youth photo credit to IYCY
What characterizes this version of the Climate Conference is the large participation of Arab civil society organizations and Arab youth, where daily coordination meetings of Arab organizations and youth were held during the Climate Conference, under the leadership of Mr. Tariq Hassan, representative of the International Youth Council of Yemen and Chairman of the Arab Youth Sustainable Development Network. Mr. Hamza Degery, Chairman of the Climate Action Network of the Arab World, is preparing a day-to-day program to track the course of negotiations, organizing meetings with Arab delegations, the chairmanship of the cup, and the official negotiator on behalf of the Arab Group, as well as submitting a statement to the presidency of the cup with some objections.
Group image of participants in one of the coordination meetings of Arab youth and Arab organizations at COP 28.
During the leadership of the Arab Youth and Arab Organizations Meeting at COP 28 by Mr. Tariq Hassan, representative of the International Youth Council of Yemen, and Mr. Hamza Degeri, Chairman of the Climate Action Network of the Arab World.
In addition to attending meetings of Arab negotiators under the chairmanship of the Group of Saudi Arabia and the League of Arab States daily, they were informed of the role of civil society organizations and young people in the follow-up to the negotiations.
Image of the meeting of the Arab Group under the leadership of Al-Barra of Saudi Arabia and the representative of the League of Arab States, Mahmoud Abu Al-Fawtoh, during the coordination meetings of the Group COP 28.
Part of the attendance of Arab civil society organizations at the meeting of the Arab Group during COP 28
It will be recalled that 10 December 2023 was designated as the day of a special meeting between Arab civil society organizations and youth, with the official negotiator on behalf of the Arab Group and other Arab negotiators from all Arab States.
During the intervention of representatives of Arab organizations at the special meeting of Arab civil society organizations with the Chair of the Arab Group and Arab negotiators, the representatives of Arab States in COP 28
In addition to attending meetings of Arab negotiators under the chairmanship of the Group of Saudi Arabia and the League of Arab States daily, they are informed of the role of civil society organizations and young people in the follow-up to the negotiations.
Side event during COP28 of the Climate Action Network in the Arab World on Women in the Face of Climate Change
It was noted that many Arab organizations have coordinated and presented side events to discuss climate impact issues in the Arab region and in the Arab countries.
For the first time in the history of climate conferences, a special wing has been set up at the League of Arab States, which has coordinated some side events with the heads and negotiators of Arab States and civil society organizations.
Side event at the League of Arab States Wing during COP 28:
In parallel with the formal negotiations, the global climate space at COP 28 provided platforms for governments, companies, and society to cooperate and offer their realistic climate solutions. High-level supporters launched their initiatives for the implementation of the 2030 Climate Solutions under the Marrakech Global Climate Action Partnership. of solutions from a wide range of non-party stakeholders on effective measures that need to be scaled up and replicated to halve global emissions, address adaptation gaps, and ease resilience by 2030.
On the margins of COP 28, Arab youth and civil society organizations and the Climate Action Network of the Arab World participated in a peaceful demonstration of the African Climate Action Network, which aimed to raise the slogan of 100 percent energy sources.
Recently, many Arab governments at the level of the Prime Minister, Minister, and Minister of the Environment held meetings with delegates of civil society organizations and youth participating in the Climate Conference, such as Jordan, Morocco, Yemen, and Egypt.
During the participation of Arab youth and representatives of Arab organizations in the coordination meetings of organizations and youth in COP28
During the meeting of the Prime Minister of Jordan in Jordan, people from Jordan participated in the COP 28 Climate Conference.
On December 8, the Dubai Dialogue on Youth Climate, the second youth-led climate forum at the Conference of the Parties, was devoted to youth, providing the largest-ever platform for youth civil society to engage directly with government negotiators, placing young people at the center of diplomacy and decision-making to fill gaps until 2030.
The role of Yemeni civil society organizations
In the conferences of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, more than 50 Yemeni civil society organizations and institutions, youth, and the private sector are participating. This is in the context of the important role played by the International Youth Council of Yemen, which has nominated representatives of Yemeni civil society organizations, youth, and the private sector to participate in building their capacities in the field of climate change and to contribute significantly to the mobilization and advocacy of the cause of climate change, the significant impact of Yemen, and the lack of funding in this sector. It should be recalled that daily coordination meetings have been held for all Yemeni organizations,
During the leadership of the International Youth Council Yemen, represented by Mr. Tariq Hassan, daily coordination meetings of Yemeni civil society organizations and youth participating in the COP 28 Climate Conference were held.
Youth and the private sector in the framework of coordination and exchange of information to consolidate the Yemeni voice, ensure active participation and presence in various negotiations, side events, meetings, and meetings-shops, and show what Yemen is suffering as a result of climate change, as well as participate in the recommendations.
On the other hand, several Yemeni organizations have been involved inside events on the impact of climate change in Yemen, such as the organization of the Human Press Foundation in partnership with the Arab Youth Network for Sustainable Development, a side event at the Climate Summit in Cop28 on “The Impact of Climate Change on Yemen.”
The Foundation has taken advantage of the devastating impact of climate change and its effects on Yemen in the areas of food security, water and humans, agriculture, animal production, water, health, the economy, and the environment, as well as its effects on women and children in Yemen.
The Arab Youth Sustainable Development Network reviewed the climate challenges faced by Yemen and the need for civil society organizations to play an active role in coordination with relevant government agencies to address the climate and environmental crises.
Discussions on an “enhanced transparency framework” at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) paved the way for a new era in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The United Nations Climate Change Organization (UNFCCC) is developing transparency and audit reporting tools for use by parties, which were presented and tested at COP 28. Final releases of reporting tools should be made available to parties in 2024.
The Sixth Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Mr. Steele, during the opening of the Climate Conference.
The Twenty-ninth Conference of the Parties also witnessed the agreement of the Parties to host the Twenty-ninth Conference in Azerbaijan from November 11 to November 22, 2024, and Brazil as the host of the Thirtieth Conference of the Parties from November 10 to November 2, 2025.
The next two years will be critical, and at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), governments set a new climate financing target, reflecting the scale and urgency of the climate challenge. At the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30), they must be prepared for specific new contributions at the national level that cover the entire economy, cover all greenhouse gases, and are fully compatible with the 1.5°C temperature limit.
