COP28, the 28th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, was held in December in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The conference was the largest-ever global meeting on climate change.
STL professor Stephen Minas participated in the conference in several capacities, including as a participant in negotiations, a member of the UNFCCC Technology Executive Committee and as an organiser or speaker in various panel discussions.
In a high-level event with ministerial participation, the Technology Executive Committee launched a new Grand Challenge on AI applications concerning climate change, as part of its AI for Climate Action Initiative. Professor Minas has subsequently written on the broader significance of COP28 for AI and climate change.
The events Professor Minas spoke at included a panel discussion on green digital skills, digitalization and AI for climate action, a multi-stakeholder dialogue on Indigenous technologies and technologies from local communities, the launch of UNEP’s Climate Technology Progress Report 2023, a panel on regulating new carbon markets and an event on bridging gender gaps in the implementation of national climate plans.
COP28 was an important milestone in the international response to the climate crisis, achieving a new global consensus on transitioning away from fossil fuels. The next major UN climate conference, COP29, will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
