The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), held in Dubai, under the UAE presidency, brought together world leaders, government representatives, communities and non-state actors with nearly 90,000 participants for two weeks of negotiations, from November 30 to December 13. This was a defining milestone, eight years after COP21 and the historic adoption of the Paris Climate Agreement and as the climate emergency demands that we accelerate our collective ambition during this critical decade.
France welcomes the consensus obtained on the necessary exit from fossil fuels, which constitutes an important step forward in order to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050 and thus respect the objective of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees set by the Paris Agreement. The tripling of renewable energies and the recognition of the key role of nuclear energy go in this direction. The agreement on the implementation of the “loss and damage” fund from the first day of COP28 to which France will contribute up to 100 million euros, finally demonstrates the mobilization of the international community alongside the most vulnerable.
During his trip to the high-level segment on December 1 and 2, the President of the Republic reaffirmed France’s determination to plan the end of fossil fuels, to phase out coal before 2030 and to help the countries most affected by climate change and its consequences. The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ms. Catherine Colonna, as well as the interministerial climate team for France, gathered around the ambassador for climate negotiations, Mr. Stéphane Crouzat, supported these objectives.
The acceleration of climate change and the intensification of the damage it causes to the most vulnerable countries calls for a strong, rapid and determined response from the international community. It is this imperative that guides the principles of the Paris Pact for People and the Planet, a roadmap for the reform of the international financial system proposed last June by the President of the Republic and now endorsed by more than 40 States.
In this context and as declared by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ms. Catherine Colonna, the “Dubai Consensus” is a message of hope for the planet and for the most vulnerable. France and the European Union will work with determination to implement it.
This article is originally published on diplomatie.gouv.fr
