A New Era Of Climate Action In COP28
Announcements have poured in across the entire climate agenda, including those on finance, health, food, nature and energy
In a powerful demonstration of global solidarity, governments, businesses, investors and philanthropies have announced over $57 billion across the climate agenda in just the first four days of COP28.
After a historic agreement to operationalize a fund for climate impact response on day one, announcements have poured in across the entire climate agenda, including on finance, health, food, nature, and energy.
On climate finance, the UAE has launched a $30 billion catalytic fund, ALTÉRRA, with an emphasis on unlocking private finance across the Global South. The country has also announced $200 million for SDRs and $150 million for water security. In addition, the World Bank has announced an increase of $9 billion annually to finance climate-related projects. And, in the first 48 hours of COP28, after a historic response to loss and damage was operationalized, $725 million has already been pledged.
In addition, $3.5 billion has been announced to replenish the Green Climate Fund, $2.7 billion has been pledged for health, $2.6 billion has been committed for food systems transformation, $2.6 billion has been pledged to protect nature, $467 million has been announced for urban climate action, and $1.2 billion has been committed for relief, recovery and peace.
On energy, $2.5 billion was mobilized for renewables and $1.2 billion for methane emission reduction. In addition, $568 million was pledged to drive investments in clean energy manufacturing.
In total, over $57 billion has so far been announced in the first four days. In addition, new pledges and declarations made at COP28 have received historic support. Eight new declarations have been announced that will help transform every major system of the global economy.
These include the first ever declarations on food systems transformation and health, plus declarations on renewable energy and efficiency, as well as initiatives to decarbonize heavy emitting industries.
Three additional declarations will be announced in the coming days on hydrogen, cooling, and gender. The number of countries supporting these declarations and pledges is growing and demonstrates an unprecedented level of inclusivity at this COP.
Breakdown of financial pledges and contributions so far:
- Loss and Damage: $725 million
- Green Climate Fund: $3.5 billion (increasing second replenishment to $12.8 billion)
- Renewable Energy: $2.5 billion
- Technology: $568 million
- Methane: $1.2 billion
- Climate Finance: Over $30 billion from UAE (plus $200 million in Special Drawing Rights and an increase of $9 billion annually from the World Bank)
- Food: $2.6 Billion
- Nature: $2.6 Billion
- Health: $2.7 billion
- Water: $150 million
- Relief, Recovery and Peace: $1.2 billion
- Local Climate Action: $467 million
The writer of this article is Dr. Seema Javed, an environmentalist & a communications professional in the field of climate and energy
