Climate Cafés & COP28 -Towards a Sustainable Future

In the Fall of 2023, the UOSU Sustainability Centre launched a new program, Climate Cafés. The goal was to have a weekly drop in session for students to gather together to talk about climate issues. It's a space for sharing knowledge, grief, fear, and to come together collectively to talk about and support each other in the face of the climate crisis. Each week was a different topic or theme. 

One of our favourite topics, was talking about COP, the Conference of the Parties. It was great to discuss current events as they were happening and to be able to breakdown and understand what was going on. COP is a major annual gathering where global environmental issues are discussed by many countries globally and crucial decisions are made to combat climate change. The 2023 COP28 was held in Dubai and promised to be a turning point in the global quest for a more sustainable future.

The Loss and Damage Fund

In the early days of COP28, significant progress was made with the realization of the "loss and damage fund." This fund is a crucial response to repairing the devastation caused by climate change relate disasters. By shedding light on the real consequence s of these events, the international community acknowledges the urgency to act to protect our planet.

Debates on the Phasing Out of Fossil Fuels

The discussion on the phasing out of fossil fuels was also a key topic. Despite fervent calls from some countries, the COP28 president stated that there is "no science" behind calls for the gradual elimination of fossil fuels. This statement underscores the complexity of the debates and the need to strike a balance between environmental aspirations and economic realities.

Some Other Key Points

Other crucial themes discussed were biodiversity preservation, the promotion of renewable energy, and each nations' responsibility in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These discussions reflected the diversity of environmental challenges the world faces and emphasized the importance of a holistic approach.

Greenwashing and COP

Many sustainability specialists and advocates expressed their frustration regarding the lack of performance in past COPs. The previously set objectives were not met, and many questioned whether COPs are useful or if they have a real positive impact on the climate crisis. 

At the end of the conference, it is essential to take a step back and examine the delicate issue of greenwashing. While the COP is a forum for ecological commitments, it is imperative to remain vigilant about the true implementation of promises. Greenwashing, concealing inadequate actions behind ambitious rhetoric, must be avoided for COP to remain an authentic catalyst for positive change. In our discussions, viewpoint was mixed from students. On one hand we believe it's so important for countries to gather together to unite around common and ambitious climate change goals. However, it is extremely discouraging to see that almost none of the previous targets have been met, which doesn't give us much hope for the outcomes from COP28. We can only hope (and continue to put pressure on our elected officials) to ensure that these decisions turn into concrete actions that have lasting positive impacts. The global ecological future heavily depend on the sincerity and effectiveness of the initiatives discussed during COP. We need to keep pushing for change!

Share Your Thoughts

Are you passionate about sustainability or climate change? Join our winter Climate Cafés and come chat with fellow passionate students. We're always open to theme suggestions! Follow the SDC on Instagram for more information.

~ Boubacar Keita and Kelly Guelcé, Green Reps students