Both Pope Francis and King Charles III have confirmed that they will be attending the UN’s climate conference (COP28) in Dubai on December 1 to 3.
The head of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, announced his intention to attend the conference on Wednesday during an interview on Italian television, marking the first appearance of a pontiff at the annual UN climate meeting since it was founded in 1995.
Addressing the urgency of global warming in the interview, Pope Francis stated: “We are still in time to stop it. Our future is at stake, the future of our children and our grandchildren. A bit of responsibility is needed.”
The news comes following the announcement of the attendance at the Dubai-based conference by Britain’s King Charles III.
At the invitation of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the British monarch is to deliver the opening address at the World Climate Action Summit on December 1st.
The King was notably absent at the 2022 edition of the conference, held in Egypt. Then-Prime Minister Liz Truss had advised the British monarch against attending COP27, reporting that the UK government did not view the climate summit to be the right occasion for the King’s first foreign trip as sovereign.
According to the Buckingham Palace statement, King Charles is also expected to attend a reception to launch the COP28 Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum, in partnership with the Kings’ Sustainable Markets Initiative.
While Pope Francis and King Charles will both be in attendance, the sitting United States President, Joe Biden, appears unlikely to make an appearance at this year’s Conference of Parties. “Although we don’t have any travel updates to share at this time, the Administration looks forward to a robust and productive COP28,” a spokesperson from the White House shared. President Biden has previously attended both the UN climate summits since his inauguration in 2021.
As we near the opening ceremony of COP28, more world leaders, climate activists, and global celebrities are expected to confirm their attendance at what is anticipated to be a milestone moment for the UAE.