Rebecca Sarku

Job title:

Research Fellow in Climate Change and Food Systems

Area of work:

Tracking the politics of climate change adaptation and agriculture. Governments worldwide have formulated and progressively articulated ambitious goals for enhancing climate resilience. To ascertain the implementation of these ambitions in practice, tracking and assessing progress in adaptation efforts, especially the politics of climate change adaptation and agriculture, is imperative.

What are the big issues that COP28 needs to address? What are your hopes for the negotiations?

My hope is that COP28 will lead to more ambitious commitments from countries to reduce emissions and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. Negotiations should lead to increased commitments and transparency in climate finance to meet the needs of developing countries to enhance support for adaptation and resilience-building efforts.

What’s your message for world leaders at COP28?

I urge leaders to set ambitious and actionable targets to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Concrete policies, investments, and international cooperation should back these commitments. Climate action must be inclusive and consider all communities’ social and economic well-being, especially vulnerable and marginalized groups. The world is counting on strong leadership, vision, and determination to secure a sustainable and livable future for all. Let COP28 mark a turning point in our collective efforts to combat the climate crisis.