The Belgian delegation to COP28, the 28th United Nations conference on climate change in Dubai from November 30 to December 12, will be around 170 people, including political decision-makers but also members of civil society and business. Leaders.
Alexandre de Croux will pave the way, in a certain way, by participating in the Summit of Heads of State and Government on December 1 and 2. The Belgian Prime Minister will use his visit to the UAE to hold discussions and meetings around the theme of energy transition. In the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron, Mr. De Crewe will present.
The Belgian ministerial presence at COP28 will be confirmed by Ministers Zakia Gattabi (Climate) and Dinne van der Straten (Energy) of the Central Government and Alain Maron (Climate) and Philippe Henri (Climate, Energy, Mobility) respectively to Brussels. -Capital and Wallonia. Again, the Flemish climate minister, Juhl Demir, will be conspicuous by his absence.
Where will COP 28 be held in 2023 and why is it controversial?
In the ministerial segment of the second week of the climate conference, the Belgian delegation will be led by Minister Gaddafi, Brussels Minister Maron will preside, due to the rotation organized between the central government and the federal institutions, the Belgian delegation during the European integration. Meetings. Belgium’s voice actually goes through the EU during the negotiations for the climate COP.
Technical negotiations prior to the ministerial session of COP28 will be conducted by a group of 25 experts from federal and regional administrations, including around ten experts from the Climate Change Department of FPS Public Health, led by the experienced Peter Wittok.
The Belgian delegation will consist of around fifteen representatives of other federal and regional administrations and, according to the long Belgian-Belgian tradition, a large group (70 people) of representatives of civil society (federations, NGOs, youth). , etc.) “All of these participate in COP28 on their own initiative and at their own expense”, reminds FPS Public Health, some voices have criticized the size of the Belgian delegation to the COP in recent years.
Although NGOs denounce the significant presence of the fossil fuel lobby within the climate COPs, the Belgian group includes managers from several Belgian companies (John de Null, Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Fluxsys, John Cockerill, etc.). Change, “but not representatives of big oil” (a pejorative term referring to big oil groups, editor’s note), according to the words of a distinguished member of the Black-Yellow-Red delegation.
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