Rethinking annual climate conference

Reducing the scale and frequency of COPs could offer several significant benefits.

The upcoming annual climate conference, commonly referred to as the Conference of the Parties (COPs), is scheduled to be held at Expo City Dubai from November 30 to December 12. It anticipates the participation of more than 70,000 attendees . This annual conference has seen a gradual increase in the number of participants over the years. This growth became particularly pronounced after COP 15 in Copenhagen, which saw a staggering attendance of 26,661 delegates. Subsequent COP 26 and 27 sessions hosted 40,000 and 33,000 delegates, respectively, marking the highest levels of participation to date. The post-Paris era has maintained an average of 27,000 attendees.