Felix Dodds is Director, Multilateral Affairs at Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solutions Service at Arizona State University. He is Adjunct Professor at the Water Institute University of North Carolina and Associate Fellow, Tellus Institute. His Latest book is “Heroes in Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage.” Mr. Dodds recently attended the United Nations COP28 conference in Dubai. The following UN agencies had key roles in focusing the spotlight on climate change and sustainability: in 1979, the First World Climate Conference was sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO); in 1988 the WMO and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); and then the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992. Two successes of COP 28: formalized the Loss and Damage Fund with over $700 million committed and committed to move away from fossil fuels.