DOCUMENT A

Nations pledge millions to new climate damage fund at

COP28, US criticized for its small contribution
By Angela Dewan, Ella Nilsen and Rachel Ramirez, CNN, Thu November 30, 2023

Global delegates at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai formally adopted

a damage fund that was decades in the making, and several countries pledged
millions of dollars to it to help nations hit hardest by the climate crisis – an early
success on the first day of talks that allows more time to discuss the thorny issues
around slashing fossil fuels.

But the United States is receiving criticism for contributing an “embarrassing”

amount of money to the fund, less than a fifth of the United Arab Emirates’
contribution and 14 times less than the European Union’s.

Demand for a fund to channel money to developing countries to help them cope
with the impacts of climate change has for years stymied progress at the annual
negotiations. The details of the fund were agreed to earlier this month at a pre -
COP meeting and were formalized Thursday, in the hope it would allow for
progress in other areas at the summit.

“We have delivered history today — the first time a decision has been adopted on
day 1 of any COP,” COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber said. The motion passed
without objection and was met with a standing ovation. […]

Some countries pledged money to the fund right after it was agreed. The COP28
host country, the United Arab Emirates, pledged $100 million, as did Germany.
The UK announced £60million, part of which will be used for “other arrangements,”
according to the release, while the US committed $17.5 million to the fund and
Japan contributed $10 million.

While climate experts and advocacy groups largely praised the establishment of
the fund, they also say it was just a first step on a long road to ensuring the
countries hit hardest by the climate crisis are fully supported.

Money from rich nations must now begin flowing into the fund, they said.

The US in particular was criticized for its $17.5-million contribution, which some
experts and advocacy groups said was “embarrassing” and “striking” for how small
it is compared to the pledges of other nations.

Dasgupta called the contribution from the US, and Japan’s of $10 million,
“disappointing.”

“Given the size of their economies, there is simply no excuse for their contributions
to be far eclipsed by others,” Dasgupta said. […]
DOCUMENT B

UAE planned to use COP28 climate talks

to make oil deals
By Justin Rowlatt
Climate editor, BBC News, 28 Nov 2023
The United Arab Emirates planned to use its role as the host of UN climate talks as
an opportunity to strike oil and gas deals, the BBC has learned.
Leaked briefing documents reveal plans to discuss fossil fuel deals with 15 nations.
The UN body responsible for the COP28 summit told the BBC hosts were expected to
act without bias or self-interest.
The UAE team did not deny using COP28 meetings for business talks, and said
"private meetings are private".
It declined to comment on what was discussed in the meetings and said its work has
been focused on "meaningful climate action".

The documents - obtained by independent journalists at the Centre for Climate

Reporting working alongside the BBC - were prepared by the UAE's COP28 team for
meetings with at least 27 foreign governments ahead of the COP28 summit, which
starts on 30 November.
They included proposed "talking points", such as one for China which says Adnoc, the
UAE's state oil company, is "willing to jointly evaluate international LNG [liquefied
natural gas] opportunities" in Mozambique, Canada and Australia.
The documents suggest telling a Colombian minister that Adnoc "stands ready" to
support Colombia to develop its fossil fuel resources.
There are talking points for 13 other countries, including Germany and Egypt, which
suggest telling them Adnoc wants to work with their governments to develop fossil fuel
projects. […]

COP28 is the UN's latest round of global climate talks. This year it is being hosted by
the UAE in Dubai and is due to be attended by 167 world leaders, including the Pope
and King Charles III.
These summits are the world's most important meetings to discuss how to tackle
climate change.
The hope is COP28 will help limit the long-term global temperature rise to 1.5C, which
the UN's climate science body says is crucial to avoid the worst impacts of climate
change. But that will require drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, it says - a 43%
reduction by 2030 from 2019 levels. […]
DOCUMENT C

Sunak, Cameron and King Charles each take own

private jets to travel to Cop28
No 10 [Downing Street] insists government not interested in ‘reducing people
from flying’ amid environmental outrage

Adam Forrest, Jane Dalton, 30 Nov 2023, The Guardian

Rishi Sunak is facing fresh outrage from climate campaigners after it

emerged that the prime minister, the King, and foreign secretary David
Cameron are taking separate jets to the Cop28 conference in Dubai.

Downing Street confirmed all three of the leading British representatives

at the crucial summit – aimed at cutting global emissions – will each get
their own private plane.

No 10 defended the decision to have Mr Sunak and Lord Cameron travel

separately – as it was confirmed junior ministers and officials would fly
out on commercial flights rather than travel with the PM’s entourage.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson claimed that there was nothing
wrong with so many flights since the government is “not anti-flying” and is
pushing new sustainable fuels.

But opposition parties and activists accused Mr Sunak of climate hypocrisy

– criticising the use of separate jets as “setting an awful example” and
being a “waste of taxpayers’ cash”.

Mr Sunak’s spokesperson said: “We are not anti-flying. We do not seek to

restrict the public from doing so and it’s important the UK has strong
attendance at Cop28, given we continue to be a world leader in tackling
climate change.” […]

The Liberal Democrats’ climate spokesperson Wera Hobhouse said the

use of separate private jets “is not just a waste of taxpayers’ cash, it sends
all the wrong signals about the UK’s climate commitments”.

She added: “The UK should be playing a leading role at Cop28 … instead,

this government is slashing net zero targets at home while taking polluting
private flights abroad.” […]
DOCUMENT D

Bethany Tietjen, The Conversation, 2022.

DOCUMENT E

Cop Out, published at the end of COP 26, Christian Adams, Evening Standard, 2021.