Representatives from almost every country in the world are gathering in Dubai today for COP28.

Representatives from nearly every country in the world will meet this Thursday in Dubai for the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), where the first global assessment of eight years of climate action will take place.

Until December 12, the United Arab Emirates, a major oil producer, will host thousands of people from around the world at a so-called climate summit to discuss climate change and the fight against global warming.

One of the main events of COP28 will be the first meeting to take stock of what has been done to combat global warming as a result of the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, approved in 2015 at COP21.

It will be the first test for countries under the agreement, which has set targets to cut emissions and limit the rise in global temperatures to two degrees Celsius (°C) and, if possible, 1.5°C above average. pre-industrial period.

Discussion on climate change mitigation and adaptation is returning from previous summits, with progress expected in these areas as well as the formalization of the “loss and damage” mechanism approved at last year’s summit in Egypt but not yet put into effect.

Leaders from almost every country in the world are expected at COP28, including Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa, who will arrive in Dubai this Thursday and will attend the summit on Friday and Saturday, with the government represented in the remaining days by the Minister of Environment and Action against Change climate change and state secretaries from different sectors.

For the first time, Portugal will have an autonomous pavilion (until now it has participated as part of the EU delegation), where more than three dozen initiatives will be hosted during the summit.

It will also be the first summit with a leader of the Catholic Church, but Pope Francis canceled his trip to Dubai on doctor’s orders due to flu and pneumonia.

In addition to the big issues, several theme days and side events are planned, focusing on topics such as health, finance, energy, urbanization, transport, youth, decarbonization, oceans, water, agriculture or energy.

The last climate conference was held in Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt) and had unambitious results.

Expectations are again low, largely due to the fact that COP28 will be chaired by Sultan Al Jaber, the United Arab Emirates’ Minister of Industry and President of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, and this is just days before the conference is again the subject of controversy after how documents were released showing that meetings prepared for Sultan Al Jaber ahead of meetings with foreign government officials systematically contained key points about the two companies he heads.

Without disputing the authenticity of the documents, the official denied that he was trying to use his position to promote the UAE’s oil and energy projects in a number of countries.