May 31st, 2023: Mr. Ambani is the only Indian selected to the Advisory Committee to the President of COP28, alongside Sunita Narain, Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment. What is COP? What will COP28 do? A ReferencePepper!
The 28th COP will take place in the UAE from November 30 to December 12 at Dubai Expo City.
Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Industries, has been chosen to serve on the Advisory Committee to the President of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
But first,what is COP? And what is COP28
COP stands for Conference of the Parties.
COP is the main decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It includes representatives of all the countries that are signatories (or ‘Parties’) to the UNFCCC.
COP assesses the effects of measures introduced by the Parties to limit climate change against the overall goal of the UNFCCC.
The COP meets every year, unless the Parties decide otherwise. The first COP meeting was held in Berlin, Germany in March, 1995. The COP meets in Bonn, the seat of the secretariat, unless a Party offers to host the session.
Just as the COP Presidency rotates among the five recognized UN regions - that is, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe and Western Europe and Others – there is a tendency for the venue of the COP to also shift among these groups.
Since it’s the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, hence the name COP28.
What will happen in COP28?
During COP 28, leaders, scientists, and policymakers from different nations gather to find ways to address climate change and its impacts. Here's a simplified explanation of what happens at COP 28:
1. Meeting of countries: Imagine all the countries in the world coming together for a big meeting. Each country sends a delegation of people, including government officials, experts, and negotiators, to represent their interests.
2. Discussing climate change: At COP 28, the main focus is to discuss climate change and its effects on our planet. They talk about the causes of climate change, such as greenhouse gas emissions, and the problems it creates, like rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and sea-level rise.
3. Setting goals: The countries negotiate and try to come up with agreements and plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect the environment, and adapt to the changing climate. They set goals and targets for themselves to make their countries more sustainable and reduce their impact on the planet.
4. International cooperation: COP 28 emphasizes the importance of international cooperation. Countries work together to share ideas, knowledge, and technologies to tackle climate change collectively. They discuss ways to support developing nations that might need help in adapting to climate change and transitioning to cleaner energy sources.
5. Climate policies and agreements: COP 28 aims to develop and strengthen international agreements, such as the Paris Agreement. These agreements are like promises made by countries to take specific actions to combat climate change. They might include commitments to reduce emissions, invest in renewable energy, protect forests, or provide financial support to affected regions.
6. Youth participation: COP 28 recognizes the importance of young people's voices in shaping our future. There are often programs and activities specifically designed for students and youth to engage with climate change issues, share their ideas, and participate in discussions.
COP 28 is an essential event because it brings global attention to the urgent need for action on climate change. It encourages countries to work together, share knowledge, and find solutions to protect our planet for future generations. It's an opportunity to learn about the challenges we face and how we can make a positive impact on the environment.
In the lead-up to COP28 and beyond, the COP Presidency will receive advice and direction from the 31 members of the Committee, 65 percent of whom are from the Global South and represents policy, industry, energy, finance, civil society, youth, and humanitarian.
The five UN-recognized regions—the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, Africa, Central, Eastern, and Western Europe—each take turns holding the COP presidency and hosting the event. In March 1995, Berlin, Germany hosted the inaugural COP gathering. Except when the Parties agree otherwise, COP is convened annually.
Mukesh Ambani has now joined the ranks of other notable world leaders on the COP28 Advisory Council - 31 in all.
The other members on the advisory committee include Larry Fink, the chairman and CEO of BlackRock, H.E. Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany-Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Renewable Energy Agency, Olafur Grimsson, the chairman of the Arctic Circle and a former president of Iceland, Laurent Fabius, the president of COP21 and the former prime minister of France, H.E. Hilda Heine - Former President, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Fu Chengyu, Former Chairman of China Petrochemical Corporation among others.
The group of experts will encourage cooperative and transformational action in the areas of adaptation, mitigation, financing, damage and loss, agriculture and food production, and nature-based solutions.
The UNFCCC Secretariat has chosen Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, the UAE's Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Special Envoy for Climate Change, as the COP 28 President-Designate for January 2023.