It has been almost a month, and I am still reflecting on what we experienced at the last COP 28 in Dubai. The final text has been approved. For the first time, the “transition” from fossil fuels is explicitly mentioned, and this is a step that certainly could mark the end of an era. However, despite the high expectations of more than a hundred countries, there is no revolutionary line regarding an actual phase-out. It is, therefore, crucial that every country make a real commitment to this transition without delay, recognizing that our time is limited and that every action, or lack of action, has a significant impact on the future of our planet. The hope is that conscience and collective will prevail, reflecting the urgency and gravity of the current situation.
The COP of record (with more than 100,000 in attendance, 70,000 delegates, 2,456 lobbyists, thousands of organizations involved, and a plethora of events that breathed new life into the Expo Dubai 2020 site — a magical bubble away from the glittering skyscrapers of downtown) was able to communicate in every form — from sustainable guidelines for food service operators, installations on regenerative agriculture, gardens and vertical farms, to mobility — the desire to lead and drive change to meet the true “green” transition. Communication needs to be supported with authentic and consistent actions. I want to focus on the good that is there. We need to recognize some significant progress made by this summit, primarily related to the importance finally given to the agri-food sector, health, food, and all solutions based on the sustainable management and use of nature, capable of truly taking care of our Earth. Indeed, we cannot ignore all that has happened outside the negotiating halls, for there, I, along with thousands of people, have sensed the acceleration toward change. Are we perhaps entering the era of “Regeneration”? If only!
Meanwhile, the word “Regeneration” is beginning to be present in every context and in numerous conversations: from finance to health, from economics to agriculture. And it is present as we understand it at “RegenerAction”: integral ecological regeneration for human and planetary prosperity, fertility, and longevity.