The Atlantic Council at COP28

With devastating wildfires, unprecedented flooding, and record-smashing levels of heat, the world is seeing a significant rise in extreme weather events—and some experts warn the trend may be the “new normal.” Against that backdrop, policymakers, officials, civil-society leaders, and activists are gathering in the hopes of forging a decisive global response to the climate crisis. Will countries react quickly enough with policies to limit rising temperatures and help people adapt to the new normal? And will developing countries receive the attention they deserve at COP28? Our experts are on the case in Dubai.

Live analysis

New Atlanticist

Nov 30, 2023

Expert analysis: The successes and shortcomings in the fight against climate change at COP28

By Atlantic Council experts

Our experts dispatched to Dubai, where they analyzed how global leaders responded to the greatest challenges posed by climate change.

Climate Change & Climate Action Energy Transitions

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Resilience in action

COP28 UAE: Co-delivering solutions for a cooler, healthier future

Join Arsht-Rock on the ground or virtually at COP28 for a series of events and discussions dedicated to advancing collective action and adaptation, finance, and policy solutions that protect people, livelihoods, and local economies from extreme heat.

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Featured from across the Council

Global Energy Center

The Global Energy Center (GEC) will deploy its convening power and vision for climate action and energy innovations on the ground in Dubai to engage in dialogue; host its flagship event, the Global Energy Forum; and provide timely commentary and analysis on developments and outcomes at the climate conference.

Global Energy Forum at COP28

The eighth Global Energy Forum was held in Dubai on December 5 and 7 as energy and climate decision makers converged for COP28.

Adrienne Arsht Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center

Arsht-Rock will put adaptation, finance, and policy solutions for climate resilience at the heart of every discussion and agenda at COP28. Our team will elevate this urgent issue and showcase the innovative solutions that are already protecting lives and livelihoods from the impacts of climate-driven extreme heat.

Middle East Programs

empowerME Initiative

The Atlantic Council’s empowerME Initiative will be hosting two sessions live, on the ground during COP28, titled: Unleashing the Green Energy Potential in the Middle East, North and Sub-Saharan Africa. The first session will discuss the policy and regulatory framework to promote the green energy sector, and the second will discuss enabling green energy potential in the region through finance and innovation. In addition, we will be providing daily live updates on the developments in COP28 in the blue and green zone, with a focus on the global south and the MENA region.

empowerME climate profiles

The Atlantic Council’s empowerME Initiative will be highlighting the dire climate situation for differing nations in the Middle East and North Africa region through our “Climate Profiles” series.

Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative

The Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative and TRENDS Research and Advisory in the United Arab Emirates are partnering for their 3rd annual conference on “Sustainable Security in the Middle East,” focusing this year on “the Soft and Hard Implications of Climate Action.” The two-day conference will take place in the Green Zone at COP28 during the afternoons of the 4th and 5th of December.

Atlantic Council in Turkey

The Atlantic Council IN TURKEY & Turkey Programs is hosting a joint event on December 9 with Trends Research and Advisory, a UAE based think tank to launch a report on cooperation between the Turkey and the GCC towards the clean energy transition in line with the Atlantic Council’s focus on leveraging regional cooperation to bolster clean energy. Turkey and the GCC share many synergies in the energy sector and unlocking the mutually beneficial areas of cooperation can play a vital role in addressing the challenge of climate change to the region.

Africa Center

The Africa Center will place African solutions at the forefront of the global discussion taking place at COP28. Featuring a report launch on the potential impact of Green Banking Ecosystems, the Africa Center will convene a Green Zone event series highlighting the need for a renewed climate finance architecture that takes African realities into account. The Center will also take a comprehensive look at the role that Island nations play in connecting the continent to the rest of the globe, and their global leadership in combating climate change.

GeoTech Center

The GeoTech Center will emphasize space-based capabilities contribution to climate science and sustainability research at COP28. A Blue Zone panel discussion will explore how space assets and their data can meaningfully progress critical climate research, including the role of international bodies in maximizing the impact of these efforts.

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