COP28 Kicks Off in Dubai Amid Controversy and Cautious Optimism

World Leaders Convene to Address Climate Change, with Focus on Financing Renewables and Debating Responsibility for Climate Damage

World leaders are gathering in Dubai for the 28th annual United Nations climate summit, COP28, with the United Arab Emirates, one of the world's biggest oil producers, holding the rotating presidency.
The UAE is pushing for an early agreement on a fund to help vulnerable countries cover the costs of climate-related disasters, aiming to kick-start the summit with a success story.
Despite concerns over the influence of fossil fuel interests, there is cautious optimism about finance for renewables, nature conservation, and methane reduction.
The summit will also focus on the contentious issue of who should pay for the damage caused by climate change, with developing countries arguing that developed countries, which got rich by creating industries founded on fossil fuels, should foot the bill.
Key measures expected to emerge from the summit include targets to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency improvements by 2030, and a pledge by the oil and gas sector to end methane emissions by the end of the decade.