On Sunday, an estimated 20,000 protestors marched through Brussels’ icy streets. Organized by Belgian activist group, Climate Coalition, the march was part of a call to politicians and leaders for immediate action to mitigate the effects of climate change. The protest, whose turnout was smaller than that of the previous year, was strategically timed to coincide with the United Nations’ COP 28 climate summit held in Dubai.
This rally’s theme, “Every tenth of a degree counts,” underscores the urgency felt by the participants in the wake of ongoing climate negotiations at the COP 28 summit. The main objective of COP 28’s agenda is to limit global temperature increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius. During the conference, several nations pledged financial support towards a loss and damage fund, aiding low to middle-income countries dealing with climate change. Contributions to the fund range from the UAE and Germany each pledging $100 million, the UK contributing £40 million, Japan $10 million, and the U.S. committing $17.5 million.
However, these efforts may fall short. The UN Environment Programme’s 2022 Emissions Gap Report emphasizes the urgent need for a “rapid transformation” in addressing climate change. The report identifies the current progress towards required emission reduction targets for the Paris Agreement‘s temperature goals as “inadequate.”
In addition, the G20 members are lagging in implementing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement. NDCs are measures undertaken post-2020 to mitigate the effects of climate change.
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