COP28 deal: Death knell for fossil fuels or lip service?
Baku, December 15, AZERTAC
For the first time in 30 years of climate negotiations, the final deal reached at a UN Climate Change Conference has included a reference to fossil fuels, the root cause of climate change, according to Anadolu Agency.
After intense talks that ran into overtime, the final agreement signed by about 200 countries at COP28 in Dubai speaks about a “transition away from fossil fuels,” a reference that experts believe could be the beginning of the end for dirty fuels.
Viewed as historic by some and weak by others, it remains to be seen how the COP28 deal will impact the fossil fuel industry, particularly since experts have pointed out a number of loopholes and insufficient outcomes on key issues such as climate adaptation and finance.
COP28 wrapped up almost 24 hours later than schedule because negotiators needed to work on several draft texts until they ironed out a version that many could agree on.
Despite strong support for phasing out of fossil fuels from about 130 countries, scientists and civil society organizations, the language on fossil fuels remained one of the hottest topics at the Dubai summit.
Most major fossil fuel producers, Saudi Arabia being the most prominent, opposed the language on the phase-out, a critical step to slash emissions.
The final deal calls on parties to “transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems in an orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.”
COP28 President Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber hailed the agreement as “historic,” saying it has “delivered a robust action plan to keep 1.5 degrees in reach.”
“It is an enhanced, balanced, but make no mistake, a historic package to accelerate climate action. It is the UAE consensus. We have language on fossil fuel in our final agreement for the first time ever,” he said.
For Clement Metivier, acting head of international advocacy at WWF-UK, the COP28 “outcome is very important because it really signals the beginning of the end for the fossil fuel era.”
“So, we have a landmark decision to transition away from fossil fuels, and obviously that is a commitment for countries to transition away from oil, gas and coal. I think this is very significant,” he told Anadolu.
“It is very welcomed that after 30 years of climate negotiations, we have come to a point where the root cause of the climate crisis, which are fossil fuels, is explicitly named.”
Metivier said he is hopeful that this signal of a transition away from fossil fuels “is going to become very clearly a total phase-out of coal, oil and gas in the coming years.”
Emphasizing the need for a course correction to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, he said this shift is not just dependent on governments, but also the fossil fuel industry.
“Businesses have to look at the decision that has been adopted and have to think about next steps. Transition to renewables is inevitable,” he said, adding that it also makes economic sense.
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