Cop28 live: world leaders to speak at third day of climate summit

Twenty-two countries have called for a tripling of nuclear energy by 2050 in order to meet net zero goals.

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John Kerry, the US’s climate envoy, defended the statement. “We are not making the argument to anybody that this is absolutely going to be a sweeping alternative to every other energy source,” he said.

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“But we know because the science and the reality of facts and evidence tell us that you can’t get to net zero 2050 without some nuclear. These are just scientific realities. No politics involved in this, no ideology involved in this.”

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However, Bill McKibben’s campaign group 350.org were less enthusiastic. Masayoshi Iyoda, a Japan campaigner at the group, said: “There is no space for dangerous nuclear power to accelerate the decarbonization needed to achieve the Paris climate goal … it is nothing more than a dangerous distraction.

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“The attempt of a ‘nuclear renaissance’ led by nuclear industries’ lobbyists since the 2000s has never been successful – it is simply too costly, too risky, too undemocratic, and too time-consuming. We already have cheaper, safer, democratic, and faster solutions to the climate crisis, and they are renewable energy and energy efficiency.”

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The signatories to the declaration were: Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ghana, Hungary, Japan, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Sweden, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

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Good morning! This is Alan Evans, bringing you coverage from the third day of the UN’s Cop28 climate summit.

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The Guardian will be liveblogging the negotiations throughout. You can email me on alan.evans@theguardian.com or on X/Twitter at @itsalanevans, and my colleague Ajit Niranjan (ajit.niranjan@theguardian.com) will take over later on.

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Today will see more world leaders take to the stage to give speeches. The hosts will hope some of them will use them to make pledges to the newly-agreed loss and damage fund, the creation of which has been the main talking point of the conference so far.

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And here’s a summary of the main events yesterday:

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World leaders, particularly those from developing countries at the forefront of the climate crises, begged large economies and emitters to take urgent action both to reduce emissions and fund loss and damage

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak declared to the conference that he had watered down climate policy in the UK, drawing anger from politicians and climate experts who said he had “misread the room”

UK opposition leader Keir Starmer accused Sunak of “shrinking and retreating” from showcasing leadership on the global stage at Cop28 and over the climate crisis

A new UN report found that droughts are a planetary emergency causing widespread famine, and that they are a silent, often ignored, killer

Brazil’s president, Lula, outlined that it is not possible to tackle the climate crisis without also tackling inequality. He spoke of climate suffering in the Amazon, which is experiencing one of the “most tragic droughts in its history” while cyclones in the south of Brazil have left a trail “of destruction and death”.

The UK’s King Charles III opened the conference, and warned in his speech that “unless we rapidly repair and restore nature’s economy, based on harmony and balance, which is our ultimate sustainer, our own economy and survivability will be imperilled.”

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You can also read our daily news wrap from yesterday here:

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Key events

Patrick Greenfield

There are huge queues to get into Cop28 this morning at what will surely be the largest climate summit by some distance. More than 80,000 people have registered for badges to the event, and many are struggling to get into the venue in Dubai.

Delegates could be heard pleading to get through security this morning, warning that they were missing events and meetings in the Blue Zone where negotiations are held, with waits expected to last up to two hours at the entrance nearest the metro station.

Very long queues at the sprawling Expo 2020 #COP28 entrance. Folks are struggling to get through the line. I think it’s time to redesign this COP process. pic.twitter.com/a1tImHs4RF

— Mohamed Adow (@mohadow) December 2, 2023

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DAY 3 – High-Level segment means more security & fresh new challenges in reaching Blue Zone #COP28UAE

Delegates & Morning schedules at mercy of #COP28 queues Gods!

Please bear with us as we manage delays @ #ParliamentPavilion ??☺️ pic.twitter.com/8aUryEhU1C

— GLOBE Legislators (@GLOBE_intl) December 2, 2023

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103,000 people registered. This is the queue for the Blue Zone (negotiations, pavilions, side events).

How many need to be here? How we define *need* in the context of governance and the climate crisis? #COP28 pic.twitter.com/qmawmONG9j

— Jen Allan (@JenIrisAllan) December 2, 2023

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103,000 people registered. This is the queue for the Blue Zone (negotiations, pavilions, side events).

How many need to be here? How we define *need* in the context of governance and the climate crisis? #COP28 pic.twitter.com/qmawmONG9j

— Jen Allan (@JenIrisAllan) December 2, 2023

For those reading this post still in the queue, the good news is that there is another way into Blue Zone. Delegates need to enter via the Green Zone entrance – where there are no queues – and then get into the Blue Zone that way.

Want to end the proliferation of how much time you spend in queues at #COP28 this morning?

Enter via Green zone entrance to south. pic.twitter.com/YpPc5puuuj

— Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative (@fossiltreaty) December 2, 2023

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Want to end the proliferation of how much time you spend in queues at #COP28 this morning?

Enter via Green zone entrance to south. pic.twitter.com/YpPc5puuuj

— Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative (@fossiltreaty) December 2, 2023

22 countries call for tripling of nuclear by 2050

Twenty-two countries have called for a tripling of nuclear energy by 2050 in order to meet net zero goals.

Politico has reported on the shadow cast over Cop28 by the war in Gaza. Several leaders used their speeches to draw attention to the conflict, and behind the scenes officials are having meetings with their counterparts about Gaza.

Here’s a sample of Politico’s report:

Israeli president Isaac Herzog spent much of the morning in meetings telling fellow leaders about “how Hamas blatantly violates the ceasefire agreements,” according to a post on his X account. He ended up skipping a speech he was meant to give during Friday’s parade of world leaders.

There were other conspicuous no-shows. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was absent, despite being listed as an early speaker. And Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority leader, also disappeared from the final speakers’ list after initially being scheduled to talk just a few slots after Herzog.

Then, shortly after leaders posed for a group photo in the Dubai venue on Friday, the Iranian delegation announced it was walking out. The reason, Iran’s energy minister told his country’s official news agency: The “political, biased and irrelevant presence of the fake Zionist regime” — referring to Israel.

Read the full piece here.

Welcome to day three of Cop28

Good morning! This is Alan Evans, bringing you coverage from the third day of the UN’s Cop28 climate summit.

And here’s a summary of the main events yesterday:

World leaders, particularly those from developing countries at the forefront of the climate crises, begged large economies and emitters to take urgent action both to reduce emissions and fund loss and damage
UK prime minister Rishi Sunak declared to the conference that he had watered down climate policy in the UK, drawing anger from politicians and climate experts who said he had “misread the room”
UK opposition leader Keir Starmer accused Sunak of “shrinking and retreating” from showcasing leadership on the global stage at Cop28 and over the climate crisis
A new UN report found that droughts are a planetary emergency causing widespread famine, and that they are a silent, often ignored, killer
Brazil’s president, Lula, outlined that it is not possible to tackle the climate crisis without also tackling inequality. He spoke of climate suffering in the Amazon, which is experiencing one of the “most tragic droughts in its history” while cyclones in the south of Brazil have left a trail “of destruction and death”.
The UK’s King Charles III opened the conference, and warned in his speech that “unless we rapidly repair and restore nature’s economy, based on harmony and balance, which is our ultimate sustainer, our own economy and survivability will be imperilled.”