The negotiations and fanfare have officially kicked off at the 28th Conference of the Parties in Dubai with reports of over 80,000 people attending the conference this year. After two days of speeches and plenaries at the high-level Climate Action Summit, world leaders have announced a series of large commitments – some meaningful, some symbolic – and most have headed back to their home countries. Starting yesterday (December 3rd), the conference shifted focus to key negotiations and thematic days. The backdrop of the conference is sunny, hot Dubai. We are currently in one of the cooler times of the year, but limited tree cover means significant sun exposure in the lines to get into the venue. Once inside Expo City, you can mostly manage to stay cool in the shade, but the venue is sprawling and the walk from one end to the other is long and primarily outdoors. Overall, it is an interesting setting for talks about limiting global warming to ‘well below 2 degrees Celsius’. The heat here – apparently nothing compared to the summer months – puts the dangers of a hotter world into stark perspective.
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