Washington, DC – This evening, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) will set off for Dubai, United Arab Emirates to join heads of state, lawmakers, private sector leaders, and environmental advocates from around the globe at the U.N.’s 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP)—the largest and most important venue for world governments to gather to find international agreement on ways to solve the global climate crisis.
In the months leading up to COP28, Whitehouse, one of the Senate’s leading climate champions, has pushed repeatedly to protect the forum from corporate polluters. This weekend, Whitehouse will cheer the Biden administration’s leadership on climate action, push for progress on international methane enforcement and a carbon border adjustment (CBAM), and shine a light on the corporate and foreign polluters interfering with global collaboration on climate change.
“Soaring temperatures, unprecedented wildfires, more extreme storms: the planet’s warning signs are flashing red. And even as fossil fuel lobbyists swarm to a COP overseen by the CEO of one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, a pathway to safety remains within our grasp,” said Whitehouse. “COP28 can be a success if we achieve progress toward a methane leak crackdown, a strong carbon border adjustment to punish foreign polluters, a loss and damage fund with contributions from the industries responsible, and true transparency on corporate climate influencing. Anything less will be a win for the fossil fuel interests so desperately trying to corrupt the COPs.”
Whitehouse will travel as part of a bipartisan delegation led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin (D-MD). Whitehouse arrives in Dubai on Friday and will participate in a press call at 1 p.m. EST previewing the forum with members of the traveling Senate delegation. Interested media should RSVP HERE to receive call-in details.
Saturday’s schedule begins with a meeting with the Senate delegation and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry. Whitehouse will then participate in discussions on fisheries, corporate engagement on climate policy, clean hydrogen, global methane enforcement, and CBAM. On Sunday, Senator Whitehouse will participate in panel discussions on congressional support for climate action and clean trade and supply chains. Whitehouse will meet on Monday with the U.N. Secretary-General, European Union and French lawmakers, and participate in a panel on marine heatwaves before returning to Washington.
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Meaghan McCabe, (202) 224-2921
