The World Descends on Dubai for Climate Summits and Trade Show
Dubai is hosting not one, but two climate summits, with the larger of the two being a melting pot of ideas, innovations, and competing interests from around the world. The United Nations-hosted summit, known as COP28, has attracted a record 100,000 registered and nearly 70,000 participating individuals from various sectors, including doctors, venture capitalists, policy wonks, and oil and gas lobbyists.
The summit is not just about negotiations and policy discussions; it is also part trade fair, part protest stage, and part debate forum. The venue stretches across 1,000 acres of desert and is compared to a mini-city, complete with a helipad, hotel, several convenience stores, and restaurants, offering a grand spectacle and experiences that elevate it to more than just a conference.
The event has brought together an array of interests, from renewable energy disrupters to established fossil fuel firms, raising debates on sustainable beef, precision fermentation, financing for sustainable urban development, and more. In addition, the summit has provided a platform for startups to showcase their innovative solutions, from carbon-sucking microorganisms for farmers to wildfire risk detection dashboards.
One of the key features of this year’s summit is the diversity of interests and visions represented, reflecting the urgent need to retool the global economy for a hotter future. The event is seen as a microcosm of the global economy, where people come together to make deals, lobby diplomats, and spar over big ideas to address climate change and its impacts.
As the summit continues, it remains to be seen how the competing visions for addressing climate change will converge and translate into meaningful action. With so many pipe dreams and real-world innovations on display, the world is watching to see what tangible outcomes will emerge from this climate expo in Dubai.