A view of the Expo City Dubai, the venue of COP28. Photo: Shan Jie/GT

International delegates are gathering in Dubai to find a deal that will make a real difference in tackling the planet's climate issues at the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Anticipation is high for COP28, with over 70,000 delegates, including representatives from UNFCCC member states, participating in the pivotal event. 

This gathering is expected to facilitate the forging of agreements to confront the climate crisis between global leaders and stakeholders, focusing on critical goals such as limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 C, aiding climate-vulnerable communities, and aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050.

The conference will not only see participation from leaders and delegates from different countries but also a diverse group of voices including business magnates, youth activists, climate experts, indigenous peoples, media representatives, and other influential figures.

A group meets near an art installation ahead of the COP28 summit, on November 28, 2023, in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates. Photo: VCG

"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 via a statement sent by the UNFCCC to the media. "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."

"We don't have any time to waste. We need to take urgent action now to reduce emissions. At COP28, every country and every company will be held to account, guided by the north star of keeping 1.5 C within reach," said COP28 President Dr. Sultan Al Jaber.

"All parties should be prepared to deliver a high ambition decision in response to the global stocktake that reduces emissions while protecting people, lives, and livelihoods," Al Jaber added.

Flags of nations participating in the UNFCCC COP28 Climate Conference, including China, are hoisted a day before its official opening in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, on November 29, 2023. Photo: VCG

China has always given top priority to addressing climate change, viewing proactive measures against it as an intrinsic requirement for its sustainable development and as its responsibility in building a global community of a shared future.

Graphic: GT

Notable progress has been made in both mitigation adaptation efforts, foundational capabilities have been continuously enhanced, and there has been a significant increase in green, low-carbon awareness across society, the Global Times learned from the China Pavilion at the COP28.
The country has also been actively and constructively participating in global climate governance, deepening our South-South cooperation on climate change, and has become a pivotal participant, contributor, and leader in global ecological civilization building.

Xie Zhenhua (left), China's special envoy for Climate Change Affairs, speaks with Zhang Yiming, Chinese Ambassador to the UAE, before the opening ceremony of the China Pavilion, on November 30, 2023. Photo: Shan Jie/GT

Performers are seen in costume at Expo City Dubai, the venue of COP28, on November 29, 2023. Photo: VCG

A view of the Dubai Exhibition Center in Expo City Dubai. Photo: VCG