BERLIN – Diplomats pushing for stronger climate action walked away from a two-week preparatory meeting for COP28 climate summit disappointed by inter-country bickering and what some said was a lack of ambition from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 2023’s host nation. 

Negotiators from Europe and climate-vulnerable nations were looking for two things at the Bonn Climate Change Conference in Germany: A spot on the agenda to discuss accelerating emissions cuts and a clear message from the UAE on how it would go beyond promises made at past COP gatherings. The outcome of the talks, which ended on Thursday, raised concerns that efforts to slash carbon emissions and boost financing for developing nations will fail to progress in 2023, according to interviews with more than a dozen delegates. 

The event began on a promising note when Sultan Al Jaber, the COP28 president who has faced a barrage of criticism for his other role as chief of state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil, told participants that the phase-down of fossil fuels was “inevitable”. But nearly two weeks of negotiations did not yield concrete results that would set the stage for a strong outcome at November’s summit in Dubai.

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