Leaders Gather in Spain Before UN Climate Change Conference

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Facts

  • On Monday, Spain and the International Energy Agency (IEA) co-hosted the International Climate and Energy Summit in Madrid amid global preparation for the United Nations' COP28 Climate Change Conference in November.1
  • The summit brought together senior officials and climate leaders from 35 countries and four international organizations, as well as insights from industry, civil society, and youth organizations.2
  • Spain currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council and is advocating for an international coalition to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, in alignment with the 2015 Paris Agreement. Spanish Energy Minister Teresa Ribera has said the upcoming COP28 will be a 'challenging' event.3
  • Speaking at the conference, IEA chief Faith Birol listed five conditions for COP28 to be considered a success, including tripling global capital expenditure on renewables, doubling energy efficiency improvements, and reaching an agreement on how to support clean energy financing in emerging countries.4
  • Dubai, which will host COP28 this year, also held its own annual oil and gas conference on Monday. The state urged companies to be 'central to the solution' to climate issues, by balancing 'meeting the energy needs' of the world with 'respecting the science.'5
  • The news coincides with Spain's meteorological agency, AEMET, stating that the start of October has been the warmest in the country's history, with nearly 40% of weather stations recording maximum temperatures above 32C (89.6F).6

Sources: 1Iea, 2Mirage news, 3Reuters, 4Thaiger world, 5Independent and 6Voa.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Politico. Despite the international agreement signed in Paris eight years ago, the world is still far from meeting its targets of slowing global warming. Droughts, fires, melting ice caps, and other natural disasters are becoming more frequent. COP28 must now be placed front and centre, with the priority of getting our planet back on track. The Earth still has a chance — it is up to the government's of each country to listen to the demands of their people.
  • Narrative B, as provided by The telegraph. Climate and environmental disasters have been predicted by modern-day doomsayers for decades. None of the apocalyptic predictions have come true so far; why would this time be any different? This type of apocalyptic rhetoric paralyzes people and does more harm than good.

Predictions