What can your business expect from COP 28?

06 November 2023

4-minute read

With COP 28 just around the corner, NQA Field Director Stephen Burt explores what this could mean for your business in 2024 and beyond.

*Note: This blog uses URL links from NQA UK's Sustainability Hub throughout. If your business is based elsewhere in the world, please get in touch with NQA in your country to learn more about sustainability.*

A summary of COP 28

From 30th November to 12th December 2023, a particular topic is almost guaranteed to come up in any conversation: climate change.

World leaders, governments and other organisations will once again attend the annual United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). More commonly referred to as the Conference of Parties (COP), the event will be held in Dubai – with this being the 28th (hence ‘COP 28’).

Keep reading to learn more about COP 28 and what you can expect from the global gathering.

Climate change & the Paris Agreement

At COP 21 in 2015, world leaders made a historic agreement, formally called the Paris Agreement.

The Paris Agreement set a vision to limit global warming to 1.5°C, relative to pre-industrial levels – with a target date of 2050.

The UK initially led the way in 2019 with a legally binding commitment to achieve net zero by 2050. However, various data and organisations suggest that progress has slowed in recent years.

The Paris Agreement is one of the leading global agreements today, with 195 signatories.

Using COP 28 as a timely opportunity

COP 28 will give countries and governments worldwide the chance to review progress and refocus efforts.

Science tells us that to fulfil the Paris Agreement, world emissions should now be on course to have halved by 2023. Without further efforts and actions, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns this 1.5°C target may be missed.

COP 28 is designed to ensure that the world responds to the climate change situation with a clear action plan.

As with most intergovernmental events, all 27 previous COP meetings have led to a mixed reaction. On the one hand, some regard COP as ineffective and contentious, with plenty of controversy along the way. Others believe these meetings have made good progress, and while there is still much more to achieve, COP offers the best hope of achieving the global warming limit target.

Whatever your opinion on climate change progress, COP 28 will be a critical moment for the world.

How is COP 28 relevant to your business?

Climate change is relevant to each of us and our loved ones, of course – but it also impacts businesses and other organisations.

Writing from a UK perspective, the Government’s Net Zero Strategy lays out various tools and techniques to help meet our legally binding net zero target. UK business will play a key role in achieving this, influenced by these tools and techniques both now and in the future.

Supply chain and financial investment drivers are also ramping up the pressure in the UK and beyond – all aimed at achieving the same goal: a more competitive, resilient, carbon-friendly world by 2050.

Top tip: get ahead of industry changes by switching to a more sustainable way of working today.

The time to act on sustainability is now

Businesses in and outside of the UK should begin thinking about carbon quantification, reduction and mitigation strategies (if they haven’t done so already). As a starting point, we recommend every business keeps an eye on COP 28 to see what progress is recorded and decisions are made.

For businesses serious about sustainability, NQA is here to help.

We provide a range of verification and certification services against internationally recognised standards to ensure their environmental efforts are robust, credible and effective, including:

No matter your business or industry, work towards a more sustainable future with NQA today.

Final thoughts from NQA

To achieve the Paris Agreement by 2050, businesses worldwide must act now. From achieving ISO certification to making small changes in the day-to-day, every effort makes a difference.

Discover how NQA helps create a greener future by visiting our UK Sustainability Hub.

Unsure which ISO standard is best for your business? Speak to a member of our expert sales team.