The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) is full of innovative initiatives that embody the UAE’s commitment to raising public awareness of the importance of climate change and the need to adopt sustainable community practices that support climate action.
In a unique move in the history of COPs, the 28th Conference of the Parties at Expo City Dubai will offer the first 1.5° C-aligned menu as part of its objective of making the conference carbon-neutral. The venue hosted many food outlets that provide food services to participants in a sustainable and climate and environmentally-responsible manner. More than 90 food and beverage outlets will showcase a diverse range of cuisines, including a unique 100 per cent vegan food truck park and Alkebulan, the world’s first African dining hall. The COP28 Catering Team has been working with Nutritics to support FB vendors by providing access to its platform to enable vendors to calculate the carbon and water intensity of menu items. Caterers have been asked to ensure that at least 50 per cent of food served falls within sustainable limits for carbon and water intensity, as well as aligning with UAE guidelines on macronutrients
These outlets attracted a huge turnout of visitors, who emphasised the importance of this initiative in raising awareness, especially among young generations, of adopting sustainable practices in everyday life. Climate change is now an existential issue for all members of society, and everyone must fulfill their responsibilities in protecting planet Earth. To ensure menus are climate-conscious and sustainable, COP28 mandates caterers to minimise waste, use sustainable packaging, provide training, and recycle where possible. COP28 is working with Expo City Dubai, Dubai World Trade Centre and Erth to ensure FB vendors are supported as much as possible in achieving the challenging Sustainable Catering Strategy. Several families, who made sure to visit Expo City Dubai to learn about the COP events, expressed their happiness with the experience of sustainable food, which also received great acclaim among children and young people, noting that this initiative is an outstanding initiative that should be adopted as a daily practice by the community.
From November 30 to December 12, world leaders, policymakers, activists, and corporations will gather in Dubai for the twenty-eighth annual United Nations Conference of Parties (COP28). The centerpiece of COP28 promises to be the Global Stocktake (GST), an assessment process designed to evaluate global progress towards achieving the climate goals established by the 2015 Paris Agreement that concludes at COP28. The global stocktake must be a catalyst for greater ambition in meeting the Paris Agreement’s goals as nations prepare to submit revised national climate action plans by 2025. It lays out actions on how to accelerate emissions cuts, strengthen resilience to climate impacts, and provide the support and finance needed for the transformation.
“Over 160 world leaders are headed to Dubai, because only cooperation between nations can get humanity back in this race. But COP28 cannot be just a photo-op. Leaders must deliver – the message is clear,” said UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell. “And as leaders leave Dubai after the opening summit, their message to their negotiators must be equally clear: don’t come home without a deal that will make a real difference.” Progress on climate finance at COP28 will be crucial to build trust in other negotiation areas and to lay the groundwork for an even more ambitious “New Collective Quantified Goal” for climate finance, which must be in place next year. It will also set the stage for a just and inclusive transition to renewable energy and the phasing out of fossil fuels.
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