COP 28: The latest agreement released after marathon negotiations recognises a crack-down on fossil fuels as an existential imperative but fights shy of pushing for a phase-out, preferring instead transitioning away from fossil fuels
After battling till the wee hours of Wednesday over the contentious phase-out issue, COP28 leaders hammered out a draft agreement. The latest text ordains nations to transition away from fossil fuels, including coal, but stops short of dictating a phase-out. It remains to be seen whether the semantic jugglery would be enough for the final draft to be adopted.
Earlier, a single phrase with make-or-break implications—"phase-out"—seemed to unravel over 10 days of strenuous collaboration by hundreds of participating parties striving to propel the planet towards a sustainable future.
As the standoff hardened between more than 190-plus nations demanding a time-dictated ‘phase-out” of coal and other fossil fuels and a formidable coalition led by OPEC, hopes of the mandated consensus dwindled in Dubai.
Against this backdrop of dissent, the United Arab Emirates' COP28 Director General, Majid Al Suwaidi, stated that the draft text was aimed at "sparking conversations" and getting parties to identify their red lines quickly. The negotiators of the nearly 200 countries at the Dubai summit are attempting to reach a global plan of action to limit climate change and prevent disastrous flooding, fatal heat, and irreversible changes to the world's ecosystems.
Al Suwaidi expressed that the COP28 presidency aimed for a "historic" result that included mentioning fossil fuels. However, it is up to the countries to agree on the proposal. Deals at U.N. climate summits must be passed by consensus, and individual countries are responsible for delivering the deal through national policies and investments.
Germany's Climate Envoy, Jennifer Morgan, commented that the talks had entered a "critical phase" and that there was a lot of shuttle diplomacy going on. She referred to fast-paced meetings between countries to seek a compromise.
The United Nations Climate Summit had earlier released a draft of its plans on how countries can cut emissions. The draft contained eight options countries can take to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. One of these options was to reduce the consumption and production of fossil fuels in a just, orderly, and equitable manner. This is the first time a U.N. climate summit has mentioned reducing the use of all fossil fuels.
However, scientists claim that more than this move is needed to prevent climate change from worsening. Negotiations were held overnight into Tuesday, waiting for new discussions. Despite the urgency of the situation, COP summits rarely finish on schedule.
Global Climate Minister Dan Jorgensen expressed concern over the draft, saying that more ambition is required to address the issue. The current was also criticised by participants, including Australia, Canada, Chile, Norway, the European Union, and the United States, who demanded a firm commitment to wean the world off coal, oil, and gas.
Burning fossil fuels produces the most greenhouse gas emissions, the leading cause of climate change. Despite the rapid growth of renewable energy, fossil fuels still comprise about 80 percent of the world's energy.
African nations stated that any deal must require wealthy countries to quit first since they have long produced and used fossil fuels. Zambia's Minister of Green Economy, Collins Nzovu, who chairs the African Group of countries in U.N. climate talks, emphasised that the transition should be premised on differentiated pathways to net zero and fossil fuel phase-down. He added that Africa has the full right to exploit its natural resources sustainably.
It is unclear if China, the world's top greenhouse gas emitter, supports Monday's draft. Xie Zhenhua, its veteran climate change envoy, said that progress was being made in the talks, but it is hard to tell whether an agreement could be reached by the end of Tuesday. Brazil wants a stronger text on ditching fossil fuels, but one that makes clear that rich and poor nations should do so on different timeframes. Environment Minister Marina Silva stated this.
Representatives of small island nations said they would not approve a deal that would be a "death warrant" for vulnerable countries hit hardest by rising sea levels.
Unnamed sources familiar with the discussions revealed that Sultan al-Jaber, the COP28 President of the UAE, faced pressure from Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of the OPEC oil producers' group, to remove any mention of fossil fuels.