COP28 remains set to break records, with travel responsible for "70-80 percent of conference emissions"
Dubai is gearing up to host the largest COP ever. Dubai is gearing up to host the largest COP ever.
Image: Giuseppe Cacae/ AFP©
After having the world's tallest tower and the biggest shopping mall, Dubai, the city of records, is gearing up to host the largest COP ever—a feat that in itself comes with an unprecedented carbon footprint.
"Ensuring COP28 UAE is a sustainable and carbon neutral event will be pivotal to its success," states the COP28 official website—without further explanation of how such carbon "neutrality" is achieved.
But to dwell on COP's greenhouse gas emissions is "pure distraction" said Laurent Morel, engineer and partner at Carbone 4, a French firm specialising in energy and climate consultancy.
"What will be interesting to see is how the governance of this COP will manage its own contradictions," he said, specifically "whether or not oil companies and oil-producing countries commit to production cuts."
At every COP, critics point to the number of flights taken by negotiators and NGOs and denounce private jets shuttling high profile attendees.