What does the world need from COP28? | Podcast

The UN released its Emissions Gap Report on Monday. Released ahead of the 28^th annual conference of the parties in Dubai, which begins on the 30 November, it highlights the need for a 42% reduction in emissions to achieve the 1.5C degree warming limit of the Paris Agreement.

Antònio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, said this week that “We know it is still possible to make the 1.5 degree limit a reality. It requires tearing out the poisoned root of the climate crisis: fossil fuels. And it demands a just, equitable renewables transition.”

The report highlights the urgent need for collective governmental and corporate action, on a global scale. Exponential increases in decarbonisation efforts are required to limit global warming. Climate scientists warn that even 2 degrees of warming would have catastrophic consequences for the environment. This year, the hottest on record, we saw the impact of these in real time.

On the Interchange: Recharged this week, David Banmiller sits down with Angela Wilkinson, CEO of the World Energy Council, and Elena Belletti, Head of Carbon Research at WoodMac. The WEC is a UN-accredited organisation whose mission is ‘to promote the sustainable supply and use of energy.’ Angela brings a unique perspective to the conversation, exploring the challenges of geopolitical unrest, energy security, economic barriers to decarbonisation and the complexities of the climate crisis itself. Elena examines the technology that could be deployed at scale to accelerate decarbonisation; carbon capture and storage, renewables and direct-air capture.