Sultan Al Jaber, president of the UNFCCC COP28 Climate Conference, speaks during a plenary session on day thirteen of COP28 on Dec. 13, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The UAE Consensus contains commitments to triple renewable energy capacity, double energy efficiency, and end deforestation, all by the end of the decade. Nations reframed the narrative around climate action as an opportunity for socio-economic growth, as opposed to a burden to bear. In the end, determination conquered doubt.
Inclusivity was also key to success at COP28: we engaged all sectors of society, including the private sector and the energy industry, to translate global goals into real-world solutions. While some were critical of including the energy sector, I believe its inclusion proved to be an asset. One powerful example of the value of inclusivity was the, committing signatories to zero-out methane emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by or before 2050.