Daily Insider: All eyes on COP28 as climate crisis worsens

Historians will look back at the year 2023 as a key turning point in which the world either started dealing with the crisis of rising global temperatures or let the situation slide further.

With the COP28 UAE summit kicking off in Dubai today, the world’s eyes will be laser focused on the outcomes of this gathering.

Already, this event is happening amid the globe hitting its highest temperature levels ever in 2023, according to the likes of NASA.

According to data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, the global surface air temperature on 17 November 2023 reached a new high of 2.07°C above the pre-industrial average. This average temperature was recorded between 1850-1900, a time before the extensive use of fossil fuels came into effect.

At every climate summit, scientists have said that the world can’t afford a rise in global temperature of above 1.5°C. Failing this, the impact of climate change will harm societies, economies and worsen an already fragile ecosystem.

There’s no doubt that alarm bells are already ringing louder with each passing year. What isn’t helping is a strong El Nino pattern persisting over the Pacific ocean, which traditionally can bring much warmer temperatures to parts of the globe. 

This year’s COP28 therefore must see movement on addressing our planet’s climate woes, while ensuring a just transition. This is especially important when considering that 44 million people across the globe are still living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.