Today, we dig into the major tensions building in climate negotiations in the lead-up to the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP 28, which starts in late November.
Summer used to be a time of joy. Now, each passing July in the Northern Hemisphere seems to bring with it ever more extreme heat waves and wildfires, and this year had a further dose of dire warnings about Antarctic sea ice and the fate of the Gulf Stream current. The effects of climate change are expected to be bad enough in advanced economies, but the consequences in low-income countries are feared to be much worse.
There’s a heightened concern among climate watchers that if the extreme weather experienced in Europe, Asia, and North America this summer won’t accelerate the political momentum needed to progress climate talks, nothing will. 2023 is an especially big year because of COP 28, which will see the first global stocktake — a review of where the world is at on climate change — that campaigners hope will be a galvanizing political moment.
About the author
William Worley@willrworley
Will Worley is the Climate Correspondent for Devex, covering the intersection of development and climate change. He previously worked as UK Correspondent, reporting on the FCDO and British aid policy during a time of seismic reforms. Will’s extensive reporting on the UK aid cuts saw him shortlisted for ‘Specialist Journalist of the Year’ in 2021 by the British Journalism Awards. He can be reached at william.worley@devex.com.
