The UAE is all set to welcome the world to the COP28 climate conference. And with less than a week to go, the country made sure its message was clear: “We have to act now.”
On Thursday evening, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa turned into a giant thermometer that reminded the world of its climate action commitments.
In a dazzling show, the world’s tallest tower displayed temperatures from 1.0 degrees Celsius to 2.0 degrees Celsius, with colours turning blue to red.
“Our climate is changing,” a message flashed, before displaying the years 1960 to 2023.
“We must act now. And keep 1.5 degrees Celsius in reach,” it added.
The number 1.5C has long been the threshold set to mitigate the effects of global warming. Under the Paris Agreement in 2015, the world agreed to “limit temperature increase to above 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times”. But the world has been off track. This COP28 in the UAE seeks to address that, among many other goals for the environment.
“Action builds hope. Hope inspires action. Action delivers action,” the COP28 UAE said in its message on Burj Khalifa.
Here’s the video: