COP28

The head of OPEC wrote a letter to its members and urged them to reject any COP28 deal that targets fossil fuels, as seen by Reuters today. Reuters says that three sources confirmed the letter’s authenticity. OPEC – the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries – said to Reuters that it doesn’t comment on official communication with member countries but advises them and its partners. The letter, which was dated October 6 and written by OPEC secretary general Haitham Al Ghais, said:…

CLIMATEWIRE | DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Now the real work starts.The first few days of the COP28 climate conference featured so many lofty declarations and flashy promises that you’d be forgiven for asking what delegates are still doing here. But the main negotiations have only just gotten underway.At the core of this year’s summit sits something called the “Global Stocktake,” often abbreviated to GST — a nondescript name that conceals its vital role in international climate efforts.In short, it’s about drawing up a…

As a controversial COP28 continues in Dubai, a new report emphasizes that "the world is on a disastrous trajectory." The Global Tipping Points report emphasized the need for an immediate phasing out of fossil fuels and a commitment to beneficial solutions. Tipping points are small thresholds that, when crossed, spark a series of events, including the passage of other tipping points.The report, led by the University of Exeter and the Global Systems Institute, looked at 26 negative tipping points and the Earth's chances of…

According to the president of COP28, the latest round of UN climate negotiations in the United Arab Emirates, there is "no science" indicating that phasing out fossil fuels is necessary to restrict global heating to 1.5°C.President Sultan Al Jaber is wrong. There is a wealth of scientific evidence demonstrating that a fossil fuel phase-out will be essential for reining in the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change. I know because I have published some of it.Back in 2021, just before the COP26 climate summit in…

 When ants travel between their nest and a food discovery, the social insects deposit chemical pheromones along the trail to communicate with other ants making the trip.Before long, the shortest route has the strongest chemical signature, helping other ants learn to use it, said Tshilidzi Marwala, an artificial intelligence engineer and rector of United Nations University. The "ant-based algorithm" and other learning systems, studied by data scientists, are now being used to reduce inefficiencies in manufacturing…

Artificial intelligence has been a breakout star in the opening days of COP28, the United Nations climate summit in Dubai. Entrepreneurs and researchers have dazzled attendees with predictions that the fast-improving technology could accelerate the world's efforts to combat climate change and adapt to rising temperatures.But they have also voiced worries about AI's potential to devour energy, and harm humans and the planet.Elevate Your Tech Prowess with High-Value Skill CoursesOffering CollegeCourseWebsiteIIM LucknowIIML…

India's willingness to share climate-related technology will play a vital role in efforts to reverse the climate crisis facing the planet, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland has said as the COP28 climate conference got underway in Dubai on Thursday. Baroness Scotland, who is leading the Commonwealth delegation from London at the 2023 Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, met Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav at India Global Forum's Climate for…

CLIMATEWIRE | Two weeks, at least 100,000 attendees and a major oil producer serving as host country — with the Earth’s future high on the agenda.The United Nations climate talks that began Thursday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, aim to get nearly 200 countries to agree to actions to limit the worst impacts of global warming. They come at the end of what is likely the hottest year on record, as study after study shows that planet-warming pollution is still rising, along with the fossil fuel production that drives…

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Arianne Teherani has a loud, clear message for the negotiators at COP28: "Climate change is undermining human health, fundamentally, all over the world, right now." Teherani, a professor at UC San Francisco and founding co-director of the UC Center for Climate, Health, and Equity, is among dozens…

The United Arab Emirates is one of the world’s largest oil producers. It's also the site of this year’s UN COP28 climate summit, which kicks off later this week in Dubai.  It's a controversial host, but the truth is that there’s massive potential for oil and gas companies to help address climate change, both by cleaning up their operations and by investing their considerable wealth and expertise into new technologies.The problem is that these companies also have a vested interest in preserving the status quo. If they…