24 THE CAAR COMMUNICATOR GHG UPDATE that even as the supply of oil and gas would be shortened as time rolled on, people and industries were still going to continue to need oil and gas in the coming decades. ADNOC added that it was in the process of making its activities more climate-friendly, even moving into the milieu of renewable energy. Of course, those concerns would have been better served to query why a climate summit would even consider holding the event in an OPEC country. Of course, the UAE is a beautiful country. Then again, the country is suffering from increased levels of poor air quality. As of December 14, 2024, the air quality in the UAE’s most populous city, Dubai, was at PM2.5 concentrations. This is 3.8 times the WHO’s (World Health Organization’s) annual air quality guideline value. The number is also 1.7 times higher than the recommended limit of the WHO 24-hour air quality guideline value. These supposedly up-to-date numbers are from the IQ Air website (www.iqair.com). The United Arab Emirates is made up of seven Emirates: Dubai, Abu Dhabi (the capital), Sharjah, Ras al-Khaimah, Ajman, Fujairah, and Umm al-Quwain (who issued 3D lenticular stamps back in the 1970s, though Yemen and Bhutan also did in that era). Besides Dubai bidding on holding the COP28 event and being chosen by the United Nations, even ignoring calls that Al Janer’s leadership was compromised, pundits suggested that outside oil interests were influencing the conference. A CNN article indicated that fossil fuel industry participation at COP28 quadrupled its registrations at the climate summit compared to 2022. And while that does seem suspicious, we must also be mindful that the oil and gas industry is concerned about what the United Nations has up its collective sleeve. Increased attendance at COP28 should be expected as the oil and gas industry continues its due diligence and prepares its near-future strategy. So, How are we Doing? If you are talking globally, then our attempts to meet the Paris Agreement numbers aren’t stellar. Although, as noted, many are upset that the COP28 agreements didn’t hammer home a more green global initiative, there were other positives to have come out of the event. For example, countries agreed to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030. Countries also agreed to create a ‘loss and damage’ fund to help developing nations. This fund was first discussed some three decades ago, implying that the wheels of progress move slowly within the UN. The fund will use the money to pay for damages incurred via climate-driven storms and droughts. Hopefully, clear and concise language will define just what constitutes a “climate-driven storm.” Even drought is defined differently by different countries. The United Nations said that the effects of climate change are many-fold: • Hotter temperatures mean that GHG concentra- tions are rising, increasing the global surface temperature; • More severe, deadly, and damaging storms; • Increased drought; • A warming, rising ocean; • Loss of living flora and fauna species; • Not enough food; • More health risks; • Poverty and displacement. And while it’s easy enough to immediately think of countries outside of our North American sphere, since 1980, the US has seen 373 weather and climate disasters with damages over $1 billion, or $2.655 trillion in total cost. Billions or trillions—that’s a lot of money. In Canada, we suffer from weather-related disasters such as floods, storms, and wildfires annually. From 2010 to 2019, the cost of weather-related insured catastrophic losses was twice as high as from 1983 to 2009 combined. Canada’s 2023 was international news as it suffered from the worst-ever wildfire season, with nearly 19 million hectares of forest lost by mid-October. While countries like the US and Canada are likely not expected to dip into the UN fund, developing countries will. At COP28, the alphabet countries of the EU, UK, and US immediately announced contributions to the fund of about US$400 million. According to an August 2023 NPR/PBS Newshour/ Marist poll, climate change is a hot-button issue, especially within the US, which is in the process of thinking about a presidential election. In that survey, 53 percent of respondents said that addressing climate change should be given priority, even at the risk of slowing the economy. This somewhat ringing endorsement included 80 percent of those identifying as Democrats and 54 percent saying they are independents. But where things remain tricky, 72 percent of Republicans said that the US economy should be given priority, even at the risk of ignoring global climate change. Since 2018, that percentage has increased
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