COP28 Kicked Off Last Week as Global Leaders Act with Urgency Over Climate Change Consequences

Thousands of international leaders and climate experts are gathering in Dubai over the next few weeks for the COP28, the annual climate summit organized by the United Nations (UN). Here are the details about what is widely recognized as the planet's most influential climate change conference.

History of the COP28

All climatologists agree that time is running out when it comes to causing irreversible damage to the planet. However, despite the consensus on the issue, how to solve this growing problem is a divisive conversation. This conference seeks to bring leaders together to discuss how the world can get on the same page and adapt to the increase in deadly storms, sea level rise, dangerous heatwaves, and more.

The COP28 has its roots in a major UN treaty signed over 30 years ago by over 150 countries. Even that long ago, scientists were raising the alarm bell about the consequences of global warming. The first "Conference of the Parties" happened in 1995 in Berlin. Since that year, global leaders have gathered to share research and work to fight this important international problem that impacts everyone around the world.

The COP21 in 2015 was when the famous Paris Agreement was signed, an agreement between over 190 nations to limit global warming to less than 2 degree Celsius. This landmark agreement did not specify the exact steps that each country should take to achieve this goal. As a result, future COPs have had the goal of setting more specific goals and laying out the ways that these initiatives will be reached.