Live updates: Follow the latest news on Cop28
Respected and precisely spoken, the UN’s top climate expert Jim Skea is the face of “the science” at Cop28.
His verdict on the summit’s first week? It’s “a Cop that’s making progress”.
It is also visibly an inclusive Cop, he says, speaking to The National in his temporary office at Dubai’s Expo City.
This is the first summit since Prof Skea, 70, was elected chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The IPCC’s job is to distil the world’s knowledge and give the authoritative facts on what the science is telling us.
Prof Skea has spent his time in Dubai meeting leaders, discussing the IPCC's next review cycle and reminding people what that science says.
For example, a scenario where global warming is limited to 1.5°C involves “a phase-out of unabated coal by 2050”, he says.
The Scotsman flanked Dr Sultan Al Jaber at a press conference where the Cop28 President said he “respects the science” after media reports about his views.
Prof Skea also stresses the IPCC’s independence and is not involved in the negotiations on how to slow global warming to 1.5°C, the goal of the Paris Agreement.
Those talks are now entering a tug-of-war over coal and fossil fuels after a draft text showed negotiators are considering everything from a full phase-out to agreeing nothing at all.
Some Cops like the Paris deal are headline-grabbing events while others are more a “hard grind of negotiating work”, Prof Skea said when he last spoke to The National in Germany in June.
Asked in Dubai how the talks are shaping up so far, he said: “It’s a Cop that’s making progress.
“It isn’t a landmark like Paris or Glasgow, but we’ve seen a lot of progress on the first day with the loss and damage fund being established. So we definitely have seen achievements.”
Scientists have presented findings at Cop28 that the chance of never passing 1.5°C is diminishing, leaving the world with a Plan B of overshooting and then trying to claw its way back.
These are not official IPCC findings but they mean the world may have to start preparing for the impact of an overshoot and potentially to go “net negative” to repair the damage.
“Net negative means taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, because you have to compensate for harder-to-abate sectors, emissions you can’t avoid,” said Prof Skea.
“That covers a wide range of different possible techniques. Most of the carbon dioxide removal taking place at the moment is with avoided deforestation, reforestation, afforestation. It’s mainly in that area. This is not rocket science – it’s doing things that we know about quite well.
“In the longer term, we might move to more engineered approaches, like bioenergy with carbon capture and storage or direct air capture, the more technological means.”
In his campaign to lead the IPCC, Prof Skea ran on a platform of inclusion, promising to make sure that people “from all kinds of backgrounds” contribute to its scientific work. He had been at talks, he said, where delegates from developing countries had to leave early to use fixed-price plane tickets.
He won a run-off vote to lead the IPCC by 90 votes to 69 against Brazilian scientist Thelma Krug, while Debra Roberts of South Africa and Jean-Pascal van Ypersele of Belgium were the other candidates.
Dr Al Jaber has similarly made inclusivity one of four pillars of the UAE’s presidency, along with the energy transition, finance and a focus on people and livelihoods.
“You just need to walk around Cop – this is quite an inclusive Cop in terms of the range of people who are there,” Prof Skea said in Dubai.
The line up
Friday: Giggs, Sho Madjozi and Masego
Saturday: Nas, Lion Bbae, Roxanne Shante and DaniLeigh
Sole DXB runs from December 6 to 8 at Dubai Design District. Weekend pass is Dh295 while a one day pass is Dh195. Tickets are available from www.soledxb.com
Jebel Ali results
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
2.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Shamikh, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 64,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: One Vision, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gabr, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
4pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 96,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
4.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Torno Subito, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner: Untold Secret, Jose Santiago, Salem bin Ghadayer
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
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How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
TALE OF THE TAPE
Manny Pacquiao
Record: 59-6-2 (38 KOs)
Age: 38
Weight: 146lbs
Height: 166cm
Reach: 170cm
Jeff Horn
Record: 16-0-1 (11 KOs)
Age: 29
Weight: 146.2lbs
Height: 175cm
Reach: 173cm
NBA Finals so far
(Toronto lead 3-1 in best-of-seven series_
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The British in India: Three Centuries of Ambition and Experience
by David Gilmour
Allen Lane
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Red Sparrow
Dir: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons
Three stars
