The 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is well underway in Dubai. Political leaders, academicians, indigenous people and experts from all parts have come together to discuss ways to tackle climate change.

On the agenda is implementing the decisions made since the COP21 (in 2015), when the Paris Climate Accord was signed. So, operationalising the Loss and Damage Fund and the Global Stocktake will take priority. The Loss and Damage Fund is supposed to help vulnerable countries cope with the losses caused by climate change. In the Global Stocktake, countries and other stakeholders will measure their progress in meeting their targets.

Any agreement from the world leaders will be historic. But only time will tell if it will be implemented. Historically, the developed countries have not taken responsibility for causing climate change. Even today, the US, the UK and the EU are considered to be responsible for 50 per cent of all emissions. The number only increases when you add Russia, Canada, Japan, and Australia into the mix.

So far, none of these countries has made significant progress in reducing their carbon emissions or funding lesser developed countries to do so. A combination of a lack of political will, domestic politics and economic slowdown will certainly not help.

Developing countries will have to bear the costs of climate change. Maybe the solution for these countries lies in coming together and helping each other overcome the ill-effects. The International Solar Alliance could be a model to help transition to greener fuels. But it is also equally important to remember that countries have to do more than that just switching to green fuels — they need to make plans to effectively fight pollution, and invest in climate change resistant agricultural practices. Sustainable living should all be a part of the mainstream discourse.

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