The 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will convene from 30 November to 12 December 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
COP28 will be a milestone moment for international climate action. It will undertake the first global stocktake (GST) which will assess progress towards meeting the Paris Agreement’s goals, including to limit global warming to well below 2°C, ideally 1.5°C. This will help align the efforts on climate action, including measures that need to be put in place to bridge the gaps to reach the Paris Agreement’s goals. As such, it is intended to inform the next round of national climate action plans - known as the “nationally determined contributions (NDCs)” - to be put forward by 2025. COP-28 website.
The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions share the common objective of protecting human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and wastes. However, their scope extends far beyond pollution. As recognized by the BRS COPs at their 2023 meetings, actions taken under the conventions may contribute to achieving the UNFCCC’s objectives. Scientific evidence of the interlinkages between chemicals, waste and climate change calls for a holistic approach in addressing the intertwined climate and pollution crises. Integrated actions have the potential to bring co-benefits for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and releases of pollutants.
The Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions will actively engage at COP 28 to bring attention to the linkages between chemicals, wastes and climate change and potentials for integrated actions.
BRS Secretariat’s engagement programme at COP28
All event times are in Gulf Standard Time (GST - GMT+4).