Voices from Asia is a four-part podcast series by the National University of Singapore (NUS). Launched in November 2023, the episodes aim to relate discussions at the annual United Nations (UN) climate conference, COP28, to audiences in Asia.

In this episode, host Audrey Tan from the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions (CNCS) speaks to Dr Aisha Al-Sarihi, a research fellow at the university’s Middle East Institute, on the climate conundrum faced by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is hosting the United Nations COP28 climate conference.

Tune in to hear her analysis of why the UAE, like other countries in the Middle East, is calling for a “phase down”, instead of a “phase out”, of fossil fuels; and how carbon markets could help the oil-producing region buy time in its green transition.

Key points:

• Are the concerns about an oil-producing region hosting a climate change conference justified? (1:12)
• What is the climate conundrum faced by the Middle East? (5:06)
• The race to “buy time” as the Middle East prepares for a post-oil future (8:41)
• What tools are the Middle Eastern countries relying on to cut emissions? (12:24)
• What will the UAE’s presidency at COP28 mean for the rest of the world? (16:35)

Voices from Asia is a four-part podcast series by the National University of Singapore (NUS). Launched in November 2023, the episodes aim to relate discussions at the annual United Nations (UN) climate conference, COP28, to audiences in Asia.

In this episode, host Audrey Tan from the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions (CNCS) chats with Ms Danielle Yeow, an adjunct senior research fellow at the Centre for International Law at NUS, on an issue that will be closely watched at this year’s conference: Whether countries will agree on the sources of funding for the newly established loss and damage fund.

At COP27 last year, history was made when countries finally agreed to establish a loss and damage fund, after failing to reach a consensus on this for years. This fund is widely considered a mechanism by which developing countries – who are suffering from climate impacts caused by the historical emissions of wealthy countries – are compensated for the losses and damages caused by climate disasters. But details of the fund, such as its sources of financing and the criteria for which countries are eligible for financing, were left to this year’s conference.

Tune in to hear from Ms Yeow on the expectations for loss and damage at COP28, and why this negotiation track is one that developing countries - including those in Asia - are watching closely.

Key points:

• What does loss and damage refer to? (0:57)
• Is the loss and damage fund set up at COP27 a compensation fund? (5:43)
• The history of loss and damage in climate negotiations (9:48)
• What is the position of countries in Asia toward loss and damage? (16:27)
• What are the outstanding issues on loss and damage? (17:41)

Voices from Asia is a four-part podcast series by the National University of Singapore (NUS). Launched in November 2023, the episodes aim to relate discussions at the annual United Nations (UN) climate conference, COP28, to audiences in Asia.

In this episode, host Audrey Tan from the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions chats with Ms Illari Aragon, the Climate Justice Policy Lead at Christian Aid, the relief and development agency of 41 Christian churches in the UK and Ireland. Ms Aragon is also an expert in climate finance - one of the topics that negotiators will be discussing at COP28.

Countries are expected to continue negotiations on the new collective quantified goal on climate finance at COP28. This new goal will replace the climate finance commitment set in 2009, which aimed to mobilize $100 billion per year for developing countries by 2020. The $100 billion commitment – which has not been met anyway – will expire in 2025. Discussions on this new climate finance target started in 2022, and will continue at COP28. The hope is that an agreement for this new quantum will be reached by COP29 next year.

Tune in to this episode to find out what are the roadblocks to the establishment of this new goal, and the importance of negotiations on climate finance to countries in Asia - among the most vulnerable to climate change impacts.

Key points:

• What constitutes climate finance? (1:34)
• How did the $100 billion target for climate finance come about? (5:12)
• What are some points of contention about the flow of funds from developed to developing countries? (7:35)
• How will the process of negotiation for the new goal differ from earlier ones? (12:22)
• What perspectives do countries in Asia bring to negotiations on the new climate finance target? (15:10)
• What could the new climate finance target look like? (18:31)

For more information on the new collective quantified goal for climate finance, refer to the latest briefing paper from Illari here.