DUBAI, United Arab Emirates:The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP28, is set to begin in Dubai on Thursday, with the host country aiming to secure a deal on tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvement by 2030.

The conference is expected to focus on phasing out fossil fuels, addressing the gap in climate finance, and establishing a framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation.

This year's COP28 is particularly crucial as it comes amidst growing climate urgency, with experts warning that now is the time for decisive action. The past year has seen a series of unprecedented climate disasters, including the hottest 12 months on record globally.

Approximately 70,000 people are anticipated to attend the event, which will build upon several key summits and conferences held throughout 2023, including the G7, G20, and UN Climate Ambition Summit.

The UAE has pledged to collaborate with COP28 participants to triple global renewable energy capacity and double the rate of energy efficiency improvement by 2030. This commitment aligns with the agreement reached at the G20 summit in India earlier this year.

Negotiators also hope to finalize the framework for the Global Goal on Adaptation at COP28, outlining its purpose, principles, dimensions, themes, cross-cutting considerations, sources, and targets. COP28 holds the potential to be a turning point in addressing the widening adaptation finance gap.

India, a significant coal consumer, has openly acknowledged its energy security needs and reliance on coal to meet peak power demand. While India is transitioning towards cleaner energy sources, it requires financial support to develop green energy corridors and enhance grid infrastructure.

Experts emphasize that COP28 must be a moment of action, calling for a definitive timeline for phasing out fossil fuels. Alex Scott, Climate Diplomacy and Geopolitics Programme Lead at E3G, stated, "COP28 will see 193 governments negotiate a joint response to the dismal report card they received in the first global stocktake of climate action."

Mohamed Adow, Director at Power Shift Africa, believes that COP28 is an opportune moment for the UN summit to respond to the urgent signals from the climate. "It seems perverse to be holding a climate summit in one of the world's biggest oil producers, but what more fitting place to call time on the fossil fuel era that has caused this climate catastrophe and prepare the way for a future powered by renewables?" Adow added.

COP28 presents a critical opportunity to identify global solutions for limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, guide countries in preparing revised and more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (national climate plans) by 2025, and accelerate the global green transition. Through the Green Zone, the COP28 UAE Presidency invites the private sector to showcase their contributions and solutions to the global climate challenge.