The 2023 UN Climate Change Conference was held in _______.

Key Points

• The 2023 UN Climate Change Conference, also known as COP28, was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
• This conference is part of the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
• COP28 focuses on global climate policy and discussions to address climate change challenges.
• The event gathers world leaders, policymakers, scientists, and activists to deliberate on climate action and commitments.

Additional Information

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
  • The UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty adopted on May 9, 1992, and entered into force on March 21, 1994.
  • Its objective is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.
  • The UNFCCC has near-universal membership, with 197 countries having ratified the convention.
  • It provides a framework for negotiating specific international treaties (called "protocols" or "agreements") that may set binding limits on greenhouse gases.
• Conference of the Parties (COP)
  • The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the UNFCCC and meets annually to assess progress in dealing with climate change.
  • COP meetings bring together countries to review the implementation of the Convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts.
  • Each COP is hosted by a different country, and it is an opportunity for global leaders to discuss and negotiate climate action plans.
  • Key COP meetings include the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the Paris Agreement in 2015.
• Kyoto Protocol
  • The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty that commits its parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the premise that global warming exists and human-made CO2 emissions have caused it.
  • It was adopted on December 11, 1997, and entered into force on February 16, 2005.
  • The Protocol places a heavier burden on developed nations under the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities."
  • It covers six greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.
• Paris Agreement
  • The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change adopted by 196 Parties at COP21 in Paris, on December 12, 2015.
  • Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.
  • The agreement requires all parties to put forward their best efforts through "nationally determined contributions" (NDCs) and to strengthen these efforts in the years ahead.
  • The Paris Agreement emphasizes the need for global cooperation and the importance of supporting developing countries in their climate action efforts.