COP28 Dispatch

What Congress Needs to Know from Dubai

Welcome! Today is Food, Agriculture, and Water Day at COP28.

Today’s weekend edition of COP28 Dispatch covers key happenings from December 9 and 10. It has been a busy weekend in Dubai, from the negotiations to high-level activities on the thematic days. Saturday was Nature, Land Use, and Ocean Day, while today focused on food, agriculture, and water.

The Congressional delegations have been making their way around Expo City over the course of the weekend. According to Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), this is the first time there have been bipartisan Senate and House delegations at a COP. Foreign Relations Committee Chair Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) is leading a delegation of seven senators. At a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Sen. Cardin reported that the delegation has had more than 40 meetings in the last 48 hours. Today’s newsletter also covers speaking engagements by 11 representatives at COP28—four Democrats and seven Republicans.

Missed Friday’s edition? Check it out here. We are also compiling key COP28 announcements and reports throughout the conference—check back for updates.

Confused by COP terminology and acronyms? Check out EESI's glossary of terms and other helpful guides in the Resources section! Looking for more information? Reach out to Anna at [email protected].

Key Takeaways for Congress

Members of Congress engaged in dozens of meetings and public events over the weekend on topics ranging from permitting reform to nuclear energy. (Congress at COP28)
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced two new USDA tools, COMET-Planner Global and the Global Agricultural and Disaster Assessment System. (U.S. Updates)
Sixty-two country representatives, whose head of state did not speak at the start of COP28, gave high-level statements. (Around the World)
The Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action now has over 150 signatories, which could translate to a 78% reduction in emissions from the food and agriculture sectors. (Around the World)

Negotiations

High-level ministerial roundtable on pre-2030 ambition, featuring (from left): Espen Barth Eide, Norway minister of foreign affairs; UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell; COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber; and Grace Fu, Singapore minister for sustainability and environment. Credit: Mike Muzurakis | IISD/ENB.

Majlis, or sitting places: The COP28 Presidency convened heads of delegation or ministers and representatives from the nine observer constituency groups in a Majlis, an Emirati term for a sitting place or a council where issues of the community are discussed. According to a UNFCCC communication to all delegates, “this first Majlis will focus on building the balance across the COP28 package, addressing issues around equity, mitigation and adaptation ambition and support.” Forums like this have been used at past COPs to accelerate negotiations and help determine text. At the end of the Majlis, Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) concluded that, “although not replete with concrete proposals, the discussions certainly saw some olive branches extended.”

Negotiations update: The chairs of the subsidiary bodies produced text on the global goal on adaptation and received feedback from countries; finance negotiations continued throughout the day on Sunday; and countries successfully moved forward the plan for the secretariat of the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage. Work on the global stocktake seemed to have taken place mostly behind closed doors to observers. Much work remains for the final two days of COP28, which is set to conclude on Tuesday, December 12. For updates on the negotiations, see the ENB’s daily report (detailed summary) and highlights (quick overview).
- EESI Briefing: What’s on the Table for the Negotiations?

Checking in with the COP Presidency: In an update on the negotiations, COP28 Director General Majid Al Suwaidi stated that the Presidency is asking parties to propose consensus solutions for a balanced package, particularly regarding the global goal on adaptation and finance in the global stocktake. He also acknowledged the contentious debate around the terminology on renewables, fossil fuels, and energy efficiency, expressing hope that compromise language can be found with help from the ministerial pairs.

Pre-2030 ambition: The ministerial event on pre-2030 climate ambition kicked off with presentations by the co-chairs of the Sharm el-Sheikh mitigation ambition and implementation work programme. They summarized the two interactive global dialogues hosted in 2023 on accelerating a just transition. The first dialogue covered renewable energy, energy storage, the power grid, energy efficiency, and carbon capture. The second dialogue explored transportation electrification, low-carbon fuels, and resource efficiency. Ministers also made statements underscoring that the 2020s is the most critical decade for climate action, framing comments in the context of mitigation outcomes they want to see from COP28.

Congress at COP28

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) speaks at a Global Decarbonization Accelerator event surrounded by fellow panelists (from left) Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah), Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). Credit: Pierson Stoecklein | Pioneer Public Affairs.

Members of the University of Maine School of Law delegation meet with Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) at an exhibit booth at COP28. Credit: Anthony Moffa | University of Maine School of Law.

COP28 delegates reach for photos as members of Congress conclude a panel at the U.S. Center. Credit: Nathan Henry | U.S. Nature4Climate.

Senate delegation leader Foreign Relations Chair Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) speaks at the World Wildlife Fund pavilion. Credit: Anthony Moffa | University of Maine School of Law.

Speakers gather after a panel at the U.S. Center. From left: Heather Reams, chair of the Conservative Climate Foundation, and Reps. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa). Credit: Nathan Henry | U.S. Nature4Climate.

Senate support for climate: At a U.S. Center event, Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) discussed the role of Congress in advancing climate action. Speakers brought up climate solutions addressing issues like adaptation and emissions reduction, including the National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security Act of 2023 (S.3261/H.R.6311), carbon pricing mechanisms, and halting liquid natural gas exports across the world.

Energy and Commerce Republicans speak on climate: At a U.S. Center dialogue between Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Reps. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.), Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) discussed critical mineral sourcing, energy affordability, permitting issues, and bringing energy innovation to other countries. One theme that emerged was the importance of supporting the environment and emissions reductions while keeping the economy strong. “Consumers are demanding lower carbon emissions and carbon scores…and we’re going to give the customers what they want,” said Rep. Armstrong.

Bipartisan group tackles permitting reform: At a bipartisan Congressional delegation event on the U.S. energy grid, Reps. John Curtis (R-Utah), Garret Graves (R-La.), Scott Peters (D-Calif.), and Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) discussed pathways to modernize permitting to both decarbonize the grid and double its capacity by 2050 to meet growing energy demands. Rep. Peters suggested that 90% of grid projects that are ready to go are non-controversial, but are stuck in regulatory processes required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (P.L. 91-190). According to Rep. Peters, legislation like the Building Integrated Grids with Inter-Regional Energy Supply (BIG WIRES) Act (H.R.5551/S.2827) would address permitting gridlock issues.

Leading on nuclear: At an Atlantic Council event on nuclear energy, Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), and Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.) shared their support for nuclear energy and discussed the current state of play for nuclear energy in the U.S. Speakers highlighted the importance of workforce development in preparation for a “nuclear renaissance,” as well as the need to source nuclear materials domestically and find ways to recycle and reuse nuclear waste. Rep. Duncan highlighted the Atomic Energy Advancement Act (H.R.6544), which he described as “the most significant update to nuclear energy policy in the United States in over a generation.”
- EESI Briefing: The State of Play for Nuclear Energy in the United States

Emissions reductions through trade: An Atlantic Council event on carbon border adjustment mechanisms and international cooperation brought together Sens. Coons and Murkowski and Reps. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Curtis, and Peters. Panelists discussed how market mechanisms can help trigger decarbonization around the world, including the bipartisan Prove It Act of 2023 (S.1863), which would study and compare the emissions intensity of U.S.-made goods to those made abroad. “As the European Union continues to move forward on potentially imposing tariffs on products coming in from other places in the world, we’d like to make the case to them that we share a common emissions ambition, and that we could and should…have a common approach across many countries that are low-emissions, industrialized nations,” said Sen. Coons.

More on clean trade: At an event hosted by the World Wildlife Fund and Center for American Progress, U.S. senators discussed legislative solutions to the climate impacts of trade and global supply chains. Sen. Whitehouse highlighted the Clean Competition Act (S.3422/H.R.6622), reintroduced last week, which would put a price on emissions for overseas manufacturers who import goods to the U.S., effectively incentivizing emissions reductions. Sen. Schatz pointed to the Fostering Overseas Rule of Law and Environmentally Sound Trade (FOREST) Act (S.3371), which he and Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) recently reintroduced to prohibit commodities derived from illegal deforestation from entering the U.S. market. Sen. Carper touted how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) brought policymakers and the private sector together to provide a market for the buildout of electric vehicle charging stations.

Natural solutions are strong solutions: At a panel on advancing nature-based and nature-positive infrastructure to boost climate resilience, Michael Schiffer of USAID emphasized the need for infrastructure that is both sustainable and mindful of biodiversity. Sen. Carper added that ecosystem services–from pollination to carbon sequestration–are often also economic services, and that failure to protect them will be detrimental to development in the long run. The IIJA considers this, he said, and invests $500 million toward creating “nature corridors” for animals to avoid roadways. Such bipartisan solutions, he said, are lasting solutions.
- EESI Article: “New Guide Helps Decision-Makers Adopt Natural Climate Solutions”

A Congressional call for executive action: Sens. Markey, Whitehouse, Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) sent an open letter to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan urging the Biden-Harris Administration to follow through on its endorsement of the Glasgow Statement. By joining this COP26 pledge, the participating parties agreed to end public financing support for international, unabated fossil fuel projects within one year; however, the U.S. has yet to release a transparent plan on how it will achieve this goal.
- EESI Podcast: “It’s Time for World Leaders to Put Their Subsidies Where Their Climate Goals Are”

Statements from members of Congress in Dubai
- Sen. Cardin via a video on X/Twitter: “It’s been an exciting day. We represented America, we’re making progress, we’ve met with people in regards to food security, in regards to our business community. We’re making progress with U.S. leadership.”
- Sen. Murkowski in an interview with ClearPath CEO Rich Powell: “I think it’s also important for people like me that come from an oil-producing state…to not only be part of [COP]…but I think Alaska is part of the solution. Think about the technologies that we have put in place because we have to, because we operate in a fragile Arctic environment, the way that we have to develop and produce in ways that might be different but maybe are a little cutting-edge.”
- Sen. Schatz via a press release: “The [Inflation Reduction Act] can and should be a blueprint for the rest of the world for delivering bold climate action. We no longer have to imagine what will happen. Climate action works for everyone—we did it and so should other countries.”

U.S. Updates

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack speaking about the importance of partnerships in amplifying climate-smart agriculture. Credit: Pierson Stoecklein | Pioneer Public Affairs.

AIM-ing for transformation in agriculture: An event at the U.S. Center focused on the impact of the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate). This five-year initiative, headed by the U.S. and UAE, seeks to address climate change and hunger simultaneously by bolstering investment in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation. COP28 has seen progress on the AIM for Climate initiative, which has more than doubled in investments (more than $17 billion, up from $8 billion at COP27), partners (more than 600, including 55 countries), and self-funded partner initiatives known as Innovation Sprints (now totaling 78). In his remarks, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack spotlighted the USDA’s International Climate Hub, a virtual platform for sharing tools and research from the AIM for Climate Summit.
- EESI Briefing: Climate-Smart Research for the Farms of the Future

New tools for climate-friendly farms: Secretary Vilsack announced two new online tools from the USDA: COMET-Planner Global, which optimizes crop management and land conservation by allowing users to input their climatic region and soil types, and the Global Agricultural and Disaster Assessment System, which assesses farmland conditions through remote sensing and Earth observation data. Both resources are publicly available on the International Climate Hub . “We’re going to translate what we measure, what we monitor, what we report, and what we verify—we’re going to translate those learnings from American agriculture to the rest of the world,” declared Vilsack at a U.S. Center event.
- EESI Article Series: Agriculture and Climate

Climate information for all: At a U.S. Center event, panelists from several agencies discussed federal efforts to bolster climate resilience through early warning systems. Julian Reyes of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy highlighted new updates to the Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation portal, which helps users understand climate-related hazards in their locality within the U.S. and identify federal programs and funding opportunities for mitigation and adaptation projects. NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad described the agency’s work with the World Health Organization to launch the Global Heat Resilience Service. USAID’s PREPARE Director Ann Vaughan spoke on her agency’s partnership with NASA to use satellite data to forecast severe weather events and provide early warnings to people on the ground. USDA Senior Climate Adaptation Coordinator Stephanie Morris highlighted the agency’s 10 U.S.-based climate hubs, which provide farmers and foresters with regionally-specific information and technical assistance to inform climate decision making.
- EESI Briefing: Innovation as Climate Action: Advances in Weather Forecasting

Scaling up green shipping corridors: A U.S. Center event hosted by C40 Cities, the Aspen Institute, and Norway discussed efforts to decarbonize global maritime shipping under the First Movers Coalition’s Green Corridors Initiative. Kate Guy, senior advisor to the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, explained how $7 billion in investments to DOE regional clean hydrogen hubs is helping reduce maritime shipping emissions. Christine Peterson, director of international trade and investment for Los Angeles, California, emphasized that cities can scale up green shipping around the world by sending strong demand signals and developing the workforce. She touted the city’s Green Ports Forum, as well as a $10 million commitment from California to fund a workforce training campus. The campus will “upskill” and “reskill” workers in low- and zero-emission fuel technologies. Andreas Enger of Höegh Autoliners added that in order to meet green shipping goals, cargo owners—who select and purchase maritime shipping fuel—need to be included in developing solutions.
- EESI Issue Brief: Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation at U.S. Ports

Demystifying the ocean: At an event on quantifying climate change through ocean observations, Lynne Talley of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography said “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.” With this in mind, NOAA’s Assistant Secretary of Commerce Michael Morgan pointed to two NOAA-assisted international programs, Argo and GO-SHIP, that fill information gaps on climate-induced ocean warming and sea level rise. Morgan also highlighted how funding from the IIJA is expanding NOAA’s ocean data collection capacity.

Around the World

Azerbaijan Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babayev announces that Azerbaijan will host COP29 in 2024 during his high-level statement on Saturday. Credit: UNFCCC.

High-level statements continue: Deputy prime ministers and other high-level officials from countries whose head of state did not provide a statement at the beginning of COP28 had an opportunity to do so on December 9. A total of 62 country representatives spoke, according to the UNFCCC’s provisional list, including:
- Austria | Federal Minister for Climate Action Leonore Gewessler announced Austria’s new commitment of €35 million ($37.7 million) to international climate action, including €3 million ($3.2 million) for early warning systems, €20 million ($21.6 million) for the Adaptation Fund, and €12 million ($12.9 million) for the World Food Programme.
- Azerbaijan | Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Mukhtar Babayev announced “that there is an overall consensus on the candidacy of Azerbaijan to host COP29.” He also said that the country is committed to 35% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2030 and 40% by 2050.
- Canada | Minister of Environment and Climate Steven Guilbeault described Canada’s commitment, announced at the beginning of COP28, to regulate methane emissions from the oil and gas sector and to cap all greenhouse gas emissions from that sector. The cap, the first in the world from a major oil and gas producer, is designed to facilitate a reduction in emissions that should hit net zero by 2050. In 2023, Canada also became the first G20 country to follow through on its commitment to phase out fossil fuel subsidies.
- Korea | Minister of Environment of the Republic of Korea Whajin Han announced that Korea has launched the Carbon-Free Alliance to promote research on carbon-free energy. This aligns with the nation’s commitment to the global renewable energy and energy efficiency pledge at COP28. Korea is providing an additional $300 million to the Green Climate Fund and has contributed to the Adaptation Fund for the first time ever this year.
- Mexico | Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights Joel Antonio Hernández García discussed Mexico’s national blue carbon strategy and commitment to conserve 1.3 million new hectares by 2024. Mexico is signed on to many declarations on nature, from mangroves to sustainable agriculture, and is also committed to the renewable energy and energy efficiency pledge and to methane emissions reductions.
- Qatar | Minister of Environment and Climate Sheikh Faleh Nasser Al-Thani described the country’s 10 square kilometer, 1.8 million-panel solar power station that, at peak production, meets 10% of Qatar’s energy needs. They are building two additional solar stations, which will be online by 2025. Qatar is also focused on food security, as the leader of the Global Dryland Alliance and having hosted the International Horticulture Expo in 2023.
- Thailand | Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Phatcharavat Wongsuwan shared that Thailand is updating its NDC to include all economic sectors, and that the country is on track to hit peak emissions in 2025 and decrease emissions after that point. Thailand has also revised its national adaptation plan, and is in the process of enacting its first climate change law to advance mitigation and adaptation.
- Ukraine | Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Ruslan Strilets highlighted the Global Platform for Assessing Environmental Damage Caused by Military Aggression announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at COP27. He said they now have a draft environmental declaration under the platform. Ukraine plans to align rebuilding efforts with sustainable development goals.

Freshwater ecosystems: The Ministerial Roundtable on Protection and Restoration of Freshwater Ecosystems highlighted the Freshwater Challenge. High-level Champion for COP28 Razan Al Mubarak underscored that “the climate challenge is a water challenge.” Many places experience excess water with flooding, while other areas see dire fresh water shortages. The Freshwater Challenge is designed to restore 300,000 kilometers of degraded rivers and rehabilitate 350,000 hectares of wetlands. Al Mubarak said that alongside UAE and NGO partners, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Colombia, Zambia, Gabon, Mexico, and Ecuador have worked together to establish this challenge. As of the time of the roundtable, 30 countries and partners had signed on to the effort.

The water-food-agriculture-climate nexus: The High-level Ministerial Dialogue on Building Water-Resilient Food Systems, co-hosted by the UAE and Brazil, aimed to elevate these issues as part of the COP28 agenda. UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Almheiri shared that over 150 countries have now signed the Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action, which could translate to a 78% reduction in emissions from the food and agriculture sector. She also shared the relevant financial pledges that have been made so far this COP: $3.1 billion for food, $150 million for water, and $499 million for local climate action. During the dialogue, countries explained how they are implementing projects at this nexus at home.

Resources

EESI resources

Article series: Quick reads connecting international climate talks to Congress
Briefing series: What Congress Needs to Know About COP28
- Congress and International Climate Finance
- What's on the Table for the Negotiations?
- The First Global Stocktake
Climate Change Solutions: Bi-weekly newsletter covering climate, energy, and environmental issues
COP28 Announcement Tracker: Key Announcements from the 2023 U.N. Climate Summit
COP28 Report Tracker: Key Climate Reports Launched at the 2023 U.N. Climate Summit
U.S. Leaders at COP28: Updates on Members of Congress and Other U.S. Officials at the 2023 U.N. Climate Summit
EESI's United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Glossary of Terms

Tracking the negotiations

CarbonBrief: Reporting and analysis on the U.N. climate talks, with in-depth tracking of country positions in the negotiations
COP28 Resource Hub: World Resources Institute's extensive set of resources on the climate negotiations
Earth Negotiations Bulletin: A play-by-play of the negotiations, plus expert analysis from the International Institute for Sustainable Development
ECO Newsletter: The climate advocate’s perspective from Climate Action Network International

Background and logistics

U.A.E. COP28 Presidency website: Priorities, details, and logistics for the negotiations from this year’s host country
UNFCCC COP28 website: Conference details and all updates on documents produced during the negotiations
Congressional Research Service: Reports related to the UNFCCC

Questions about COP28?

Reach out to EESI Policy Manager Anna McGinn with your questions. We will get back to you or include the information in an upcoming newsletter.

Thanks for reading!

This newsletter covering COP28 will be running from November 30 to December 12.
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Staff contributors: Daniel Bresette, Molly Brind’Amour, Alison Davis, Amaury Laporte, Anna McGinn, and Nicole Pouy.

Thank you to Nathan Henry, U.S. Nature4Climate; Natalie Nowatzke, Bryant Wolff, and Anthony Moffa, University of Maine School of Law; and Pierson Stoecklein, Pioneer Public Affairs, for contributions to today’s newsletter.

About EESI

EESI is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit advancing science-based solutions for climate change, energy, and environmental challenges to achieve a sustainable, resilient, and equitable world. Founded on a bipartisan basis by members of Congress, EESI has been informing policymakers about the benefits of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and environmental conservation since 1984.

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