939. Maintaining Optimism in the Fight Against Climate Change

The recent declaration by the European Copernicus Climate Change Service that 2023 will be the hottest year on record has been officially confirmed by both the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Looking ahead to the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Dubai at the end of last year, Nature Climate Change has contributed a discussion on the prospects for further progress in the fight against climate change in the paper titled Hoping for better. Here is a brief summary.

In the run-up to COP28, host countries unexpectedly supported increased fossil fuel production, seemingly at odds with the event's intended goals. However, in the early stages of the conference, the United States, along with companies responsible for 40% of the world's oil production, committed to significant methane reductions. The U.S. also outlined policies to regulate the oil and gas industry, with expected progress on methane reduction to be manifested in 2023 and further progress expected in 2024.

While COP28 witnessed a commitment to transforming food systems, specific proposals on strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane emissions from the agricultural sector (especially livestock and rice production), were notably absent.

The conclusion of COP28 marked a historic commitment to phase out fossil fuels, signaling the "beginning of the end" for such energy sources. However, this commitment has yet to be translated into nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Bridging the gap between discourse and concrete action is essential to effectively minimize the impacts of climate change.

Reference
Hoping for better. Nat. Clim. Chang. 14, 1 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01922-y

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki (Information Program)