Business and philanthropy are crucial to meeting climate goals, says COP28 special representative

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Mint in an interview. He said the COP process hasn't been as effective on implementation as it has been on pledges and declarations because “business has not been properly engaged in the process". “We've had 27 years of COP, and in the last 27 years, emissions have gone up 50%.

The process is not working in the way we need it to work. So, we need to look at a paradigm shift in how we get all stakeholders to engage – not because they are being forced to do so, but because they accept that it's in their enlightened self-interest to engage, to act and to deliver. That's why the motto of COP28 is ‘unite, act and deliver’," he added.

“I believe the private sector, including philanthropy, holds the greatest promise to accelerate the accomplishment of our climate and nature global goals. The authentic inclusion of business is no longer optional because business can provide the all-important connective tissue between COP presidencies," Jafar said. “The constant failure of many nations to abide by their climate-finance pledges is another reason that we can't simply rely on pledges.

This disconnect is a killer to a process like COP. This is where business and philanthropy needs to come in," he added. This year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP28, under the presidency of the UAE, introduces the Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum, chaired by Jafar, for which over 1,300 world leaders with gather at the summit on Friday and Saturday.