COP28: Takeaways from the U.N. climate summit

World leaders at the United Nations climate summit known as COP28 that wrapped up in Dubai last week signed an agreement to “transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems,” with “accelerating action this critical decade.” 

Many countries have made pledges on renewable energy, energy efficiency, ocean conservation, and food systems, and some companies have made new pledges on methane emissions and flaring. 

In the discussion that follows, eight scholars from across the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability answer questions about the conference and its outcomes. Five of them – including PhD students Anela Arifi and Jayson Toweh; Center for Ocean Solutions fellow Josheena Naggea; professor William Barnett; and our Dean, Arun Majumdar – attended the summit. 

Jump to expert bios

Find insights from a side event co-organized by Stanford at COP28 about climate technology and climate justice. 

Explore videos from more events organized by or featuring scholars affiliated with the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability at COP28.

How are you thinking about COP28 and its accomplishments?

Arun Majumdar: I understand the UN is quoting 85,000 as the total number of attendees. That degree of participation and global engagement suggests a deep desire and a demand to address all aspects of sustainability, from energy, water, food, biodiversity, ecology, global health, and climate change. And this was palpable at COP28. It is particularly heartening to note that this closely mirrors the school’s ambitions to drive global engagement on matters of climate and sustainability. I was also quite impressed that technology and innovation were elevated at COP28; it offered hope to people through solutions. 

While I was there for only two days at the start of COP28, there was much effort at the end to come to an agreement to phase out fossil fuels. To achieve that, we need to find solutions at speed and scale, ones that people from around the world have access to with affordability, security, and reliability in mind. This also aligns with our school’s ambition to develop globally scalable solutions through research and education in our departments, institutes, and the accelerator.

William Barnett: Most of the media attention is understandably on the wording of agreements, especially on the issue of transitioning away from carbon. But let's be clear: There is a revolution going on, driven by the stark fact that the world's energy system must change. This revolution will happen regardless of how the agents of the status quo feel about it. The vested interests of the 20th century supporting the 21st-century's energy transition would be like the czar appointing a committee to look into revolutionary thinking. Industrial disruptions happen despite, not through, the vested interests of the status quo.

Alicia Seiger: COP28 made history for being the first in which leaders agreed to transition away from fossil fuels in a just and equitable way. Nearly thirty years into the multilateral negotiating process that is both remarkable (finally!) and astounding (how did that take 30 years?!). The final text will have some influence over time but if Paris is any guide, the Dubai deal may yet remain more ambitious than the domestic policies of most of the countries signing the agreement. The gap between ambition and the necessary policy response is already making for a disorderly, and therefore more costly, transition. 

On the question of tensions between rich and developing countries, I’d give COP28 a C+. There was early and meaningful progress on loss and damage funding, which is good. But with more oil lobbyists than all the delegates from the 10 most climate-vulnerable countries combined, and a final agreement so rushed it was reported the small-island states team didn’t even have time to make it into the plenary hall, it is clear rich countries were still in the driver’s seat.  

There was little progress on Article 6 so there is still no agreement on the rules to govern international carbon markets. No rules are better than bad rules, but without a foundational shift toward real carbon accounting, it’s hard to see a productive path forward. 

Key term: Article 6 of the Paris Agreement covers mechanisms for voluntary international cooperation on climate goals, including carbon markets.

COPs are a Rorschach test of sorts. Entrepreneurs and innovators called COP28 “invigorating” thanks to the exponential growth of people and ideas working on climate. For many more though, the “victory” of a long overdue recognition of the need to transition away from fossil fuels feels crushingly inadequate. COPs are a psychological stock take and an annual ambition check, but the real work of reducing emissions happens when everyone returns home.

Jayson Toweh: When I came to COP this year, I remembered the most important thing would be to maximize connecting with people working in similar spaces, especially the early career and youth participants. A successful experience wouldn’t be predicated on lasting agreements being made, but on the connections, collaborations, and engagement between civil society, business, and academics that are actively involved in climate solutions.

As I left COP, I felt fairly satisfied. For the first time in history loss and damage funds have been agreed on from the countries causing the climate damage to those experiencing the brunt of it. Though much more funds are needed, it was a good start. The health and other themed days provided great opportunities for folks in those fields to engage. I met many people from around the world where I talked about the nexus of climate, health, and energy transition. Also, there was an active presence of youth from different organizations and countries, which was great. 

What is one thing that surprised or inspired you during your experience at COP28?

Anela Arifi: In the realm of sustainable aviation fuels, it was truly encouraging to witness a widespread consensus among stakeholders – academics, airlines, airports, operators, and suppliers – that biomass-based liquid fuels hold the key to decarbonizing the notoriously challenging aviation sector. The shared commitment and optimism expressed by these diverse entities have reinforced my dedication to my research path. Knowing that the broader community aligns on the potential of these fuels motivates me even more to contribute to advancements in this field.

On the sustainability education front, a second surprising and inspiring revelation was the active engagement of numerous organizations and state entities in driving climate change education initiatives globally. Interest in collaboration and idea exchanges from these entities with our Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability was palpable. Witnessing the collective commitment to accelerating climate education initiatives worldwide was not only heartening but also highlighted the importance of collaborative efforts in building a more sustainable future.

My experience at COP28 underscored the power of shared visions and collaborative endeavors, both within the aviation sector and in the broader context of climate education. These insights have left me energized and optimistic about the positive impact we can collectively achieve in addressing the challenges of climate change.

What signs of progress and opportunities for improvement do you see in the commitments made at COP28 related to oceans, food, and climate?

Jim Leape: There were two announcements that I found particularly encouraging for ocean-climate solutions. One was the launch of the Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity initiative, the largest conservation commitment ever made. Led by the 16 Pacific island countries and territories, who are on the front lines of climate change, the initiative sets out to protect an area of ocean five times the size of the U.S. and restore the coastal food systems that are essential to the health, food security, and livelihoods of Pacific communities.

We also saw 158 countries sign the Emirates Declaration calling for transformation of food systems, which currently account for 25% of global emissions. As part of the Secretariat for the Aquatic Blue Food Coalition, the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions helped ensure that aquatic blue foods were included in the declaration as a priority for future climate action. It’s crucial that governments now deliver on the Emirates Declaration and integrate food systems into their national climate strategies. That includes action to reduce emissions from current food systems, shift to foods that are intrinsically lower in emissions, like many blue food species, and make food systems climate-resilient.

Josheena Naggea: This year we witnessed several announcements of increased funding for nature-based solutions and coastal resilience. These investments are a step in the right direction, however we need to commit to co-designing and iterating with at-risk communities at much earlier stages of development, and be adaptive and sensitive to community needs throughout. 

Simultaneously, we need to increase investments in local capacity to understand and strengthen the integration of ocean-climate and nature-based solutions.  With a better understanding of the social-ecological systems in which we wish to make a difference, we will be able to identify more effective and sustainable pathways to achieve such goals. With more funding pledged at promoting innovation and increasing coastal resilience in the Global South, we need tangible efforts to foster leadership by Indigenous and local communities, and truly grasp that such inclusion implies better outcomes for people, climate, and nature.

Colette Wabnitz: The Unlocking Blue Pacific Prosperity initiative offers hope for a number of reasons. It showcases a region coming together with leadership from an international development organization, The Pacific Community, that is owned and governed by its 27 country and territory members. The initiative is a commitment to effectively protect habitats and ecosystems while supporting and ensuring the equitable and sustainable use of natural resources that underpin the livelihoods, cultures, well-being, and food and nutrition security of Pacific Island people. 

More broadly, it has been great to see a ratcheting up of national commitments to keep 1.5 C within reach and the dramatic turn around with nations agreeing at the last minute to "transition away" from coal, oil, and gas. The single most important step needed to support our oceans, the people who depend on them, and climate action is to commit to phasing out the production and use of fossil fuels as part of transformative, just transitions. 

Wealthy nations must also significantly increase their contributions to the loss and damage fund created at COP27 and invest in an associated framework tailored to the different recipient countries, markets, and institutions. To put contributions in perspective: Countries pledged a total of $656 million to the fund at COP28, while Shohei Ohtani's new baseball contract with the Dodgers amounts to $700 million.