COP28: Your Guide to the 2023 UN Climate Conference

This November, representatives from nearly 200 countries will come together to coordinate global climate action for the next year—an event referred to as COP28.

COP28 stands for the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In this guide we’ll call it COP; you might also hear this referred to as the UN climate change convention.

At the annual climate COP, delegates from nearly every country on Earth negotiate global goals for tackling climate change, present their individual countries’ plans for contributing to those goals, and report on their progress.

The world is facing unprecedented impacts from a warming planet already: record-breaking wildfires, catastrophic floods, and unbearable heat waves. And what’s worse, the first ever report card on our climate progress (appropriately named the Global Stocktake) showed exactly how far behind we are in our climate ambitions. We need dramatic actions to benefit our climate and we need them now. COP28 is the world’s chance to level up

The climate COP meets in a different city every year to demonstrate the importance of collaboration from nations across the globe. This year’s meeting will be held November 30 to December 12 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). While the overall goal of all these meetings is increasing global cooperation to fight climate change, the specific topics can vary each year.

Similar to last year, the host country sets the tone and initial direction of discussion. 

This year, COP28's focus areas include:

With some of the world's top policy makers and climate experts at COP28, there's a tremendous opportunity to advance the critical role nature plays in combating climate change and implementing the Paris Agreement. 

As countries work to update and align their climate plans, YKAN staff will be at the forefront of negotiations with government and business leaders, pushing for greater ambition to phase out fossil fuels, build more resilience into societies, and invest more in both mitigation and adaption efforts.  

To accomplish these goals, we’ll be advocating for both swifter transition to renewable energy source and more use of natural climate solutions, and more investment from both the public and private sectors, especially to help those countries that have been most affected the impacts of climate change. We’ll also be working to ensure Indigenous and local community voices are heard, as these are the people who know best how to work with nature in their communities.

Every action matters. Every ounce of carbon, every fraction of a degree, every day matters. Our leaders’ climate actions matter and your climate actions matter.

That’s why at COP28 we’re advocating for 3 core themes.

As a global society, we must:

1. Phase out fossil fuels. We must focused on climate change mitigation and energy transition.
2. Build climate-resilient societies. We must empower groups who steward nature to secure their homes, livelihoods and futures.
3. Invest in climate solutions. We must inspire commitments and investments in nature-positive projects, policies and practices.

Check out a sample Global Insights Newsletter here. 

Want to learn more about some of the issues being discussed at COP28? In this last section of the guide, we’ve curated articles and videos on the most important issues at this year's climate conference.

Food & Climate

Climate Adaptation

Indigenous and Local Community Leadership
   

Nature-Based Solutions

Clean Energy

Financing Climate Action