The key annual event in the fight against climate change: the 28th Conference of the Parties (known as COP28), the great climate summit 2023. This year’s global event is being held in Dubai under the theme “Unite. Act. Deliver,” to advance decarbonization, boost green energy and secure more cooperation and financing for a greener, more prosperous future.
“We need corporate leaders in the fossil fuel industry, in the financial sector and elsewhere who can challenge shareholders on destructive short-term profits in favor of a long-term vision of returns on investment for the planet. (…) We can. We will. That is the attitude we must adopt at COP 28.” Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change
Between November 30 and December 12, 2023, the Expo City Dubai congress center in the United Arab Emirates will host more than 70,000 people at COP28.
The Conferences of the Parties have been held for almost thirty years, bringing together representatives from almost two hundred countries and multi-stakeholder groups to energize the climate dialogue and reach international agreements.
The last most relevant agreement reached was at COP21: the Paris Agreement. A pact that achieved the commitment to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels and to activate adaptation measures.
The COP28 presidency has presented four main axes for this meeting, as stated in its letter to stakeholders:
1. Accelerate the energy transition and reduce emissions by 2030. 2.
2. Financing climate action
3. Deliver on pledges and lay the groundwork for a new global agreement. 4. 4. Putting nature, people and lives at the center of climate action.
ARPA, a Spanish SME committed to the fight against climate change, is participating in COP28 in two ways: by presenting the local, national and international policies they are carrying out and with Clara Arpa, President of the UN Global Compact, and member of the UN Board as CEO of ARPA, will be present in different panel discussions.
Clara will participate in the high-level event organized by Caring For Climate, the international platform of UN Global Compact, which brings together people in senior executive positions in business, industry, finance, civil society, UN environment and governments to reduce greenhouse gases.
In addition, the UN Global Compact Spanish network organizes the SBTi ́s Leading companies event at the UN Global Compact pavilion. An event focused on the climate objectives established by science for the private sector, in which different experts from the business ecosystem and Science Based Target will provide keys to action and their work in first person.
Clara is also convened in the Spanish Pavilion for Corporate leadership in climate action, in which business leaders will talk about corporate climate ambition. In addition, several Spanish companies will participate in the meeting organized by the UN Global Compact on the Climate Ambition Accelerator, among them ARPA will be present.
ARPA participates in the UN Business Ambition 1.5º initiative. It is one of the few SMEs at international level and the only one at national level that has committed to reduce CO2 emissions by 2025.
Finally, a networking session between Spanish companies, in collaboration with the CEOE, is scheduled for December 7.
