COP 28: As we seem on course to breach the 1.5-degree global warming benchmark, the time to act is now if the planet is to be rescued from a catastrophic meltdown, says this letter in a fervent appeal to leaders assembled at the UN climate conference
As we approach the end of COP28, we find ourselves at a critical moment. We must achieve the strongest possible outcome to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees. However, this will require us to work together as a team.
Signs of transformation and opportunity across all sectors of society surround us. At the same time, the climate emergency is becoming more pressing than ever. Now is our moment to take action, and we must do so decisively. Our efforts here at COP28 in Dubai will define the future of generations to come.
More than 800 CEOs, mayors, governors, investors, Indigenous peoples, health professionals, young people, faith leaders, scientists, athletes, and others stand in solidarity with the COP28 President and all parties. We are united behind a rapid response plan to the Global Stocktake.
To achieve a positive outcome, we know we must take the following steps:
We must phase out all fossil fuels in an orderly, just, and equitable manner, in line with a 1.5C trajectory. This will require tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030, compared to 2022, and doubling energy efficiency.
We must create an enabling environment that will allow us to scale up and shift public and private finance. Developed countries must take the lead in action and support by putting a price on carbon and tripling investments in renewable energy.
We must halt and reverse deforestation, land degradation, biodiversity, and other ecosystem loss by 2030. This will involve safeguarding the territories of indigenous peoples, ensuring resilient food systems, and delivering a robust global goal on adaptation.
These outcomes must be supported by implementing and ratcheting up Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). We must do this well before COP30 in 2025, ensuring that these efforts align with a 1.5C trajectory and incorporate multi-stakeholder collaboration.