From 30 November until 12 December, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly referred to as COP28, took place at the Expo City, Dubai. The 28th conference, it has been held annually since the first UN climate agreement in 1992, and is intended for governments to agree on policies to limit global temperature rises and adapt to impacts associated with climate change.
On December 4, HCSS strategic analyst Irina Patrahau moderated the panel discussion “Political and Strategic Issues Challenging International Climate Action”, as part of the first session of the TRENDS-Atlantic Council 3rd Annual Conference on Sustainable Security: The Soft and Hard Implications of Climate Action.
The session brought together insights from a diverse group of panelists to discuss the political and strategic issues challenging climate action. The panel was joined by Erin Sikorsky, Director of the Center for Climate and Security and the International Military Council on Climate Security; HE Osama Al Gohary, Assistant to the Prime Minister of Egypt and IDSC Chairman; and Professor Ahmed Ali Murad, Associate Provost for Research at UAE University. Some of the key take-aways aimed to inform decision-makers engaging in discussions around strategic competition and climate finance at COP included:
- There is a risk that great power competition will negatively impact the energy transition, but this is not an immediate deal-breaker. As governments realise the criticality of climate action to address national security challenges, they will likely leave room for cooperation on climate.
- Climate finance is essential to address risks in regions vulnerable to climate change, and it remains a key impediment in the development and implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation plans.
- Multilateral conferences like the COP play a key role in addressing some of these challenges as they provide avenues for continued dialogue, cooperation, and exchange.
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