The World Climate Summit ended and with weak commitments, it agreed on a transition from fossil fuels to clean energy

(From COP28, Dubai, UAE) – After two weeks of negotiations in the United Arab Emirates, the Climate Change Summit (COP28) reached an agreement that for the first time mentions fossil fuels and moves towards the energy transition.

The latest draft proposed this morning by COP President Sultan Al Jaber was approved unanimously in contrast to the first version that provoked criticism and rejections and was classified as “unacceptable and insufficient.”

The text finally approved together with the World Balance (the first inventory of climate action since the Paris Agreement) calls for an “equitable and orderly” energy transition with the goal of “taking action in this critical decade and achieving net zero by 2050,” although with weak language.

The mention of 2030 as an immediate goal was also one of the main requests of both the EU and the Alliance of Small States and Islands, which described the previous version as a “death sentence” for the countries most vulnerable to climate change.

The agreement, called United Arab Emirates Consensus, recognizes “the need for a deep, rapid and sustained reduction in emissions in line with the 1.5ºC objective.” Another of the salient points is the goal of triple the capacity of renewables in 2030.

Although it may seem curious, This climate agreement mentions fossil fuels for the first time in 28 years. Until now, in these meetings in which we discuss how to stop the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, its main cause has never been identified.

However, the language was considerably weaker than developing countries and civil society expected. The refusal of Saudi Arabia and other oil countries to include a reference to “elimination” (phase out in English) or “reduction” (phase down) was the one that generated the greatest tensions in the last 48 hours and for which the summit It lasted for another 24 hours.

For the agreement, which must be by consensus of the 197 countries, the reduction was finally left and only coal is mentioned:

– Accelerate efforts toward phasing out coal power without slowing down.

– Accelerate global efforts toward net-zero energy systems, using low- or zero-carbon fuels well before or around mid-century.

For many critics of this result, This leaves the door open to the use of gas as a transition fuel and the advancement of carbon capture technologies that are little tested and that do not guarantee, on a large scale, net zero emissions (which is captured the same as it is emitted).

The final text also recognized the need to adapt the transition “to the different needs of each country” and included an explicit mention of “accelerating the reduction of emissions derived from road transport.”

“Science tells us that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees will be impossible without phasing out all fossil fuels in a period consistent with this limit. This has been recognized by a growing and diverse coalition of countries,” said António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The European Commissioner for Climate Action, Wopke Hoekstra, expressed the same sentiment: “The world has just adopted a historic decision at COP28 to launch an irreversible and accelerated transition away from fossil fuels.”

Although some considered that this is the beginning of the end of the use of fossils, there are criticisms regarding some gaps left in the text and the lack of precision and even absences in the financing and adaptation chapters.

Enrique Maurtua Konstantinidis, senior advisor on climate diplomacy at the Independent Global Stocktake, indicated: “It must be recognized that, for the first time, there are important signals about fossil fuels. Just a year ago, it wasn’t on the table. And, now, there are references to transitioning the entire energy system. In other words, this COP I can emphasize the what. However, he gave no indication of how: financing for the transition, and the door was open to many false solutions.”

Financing

Simon StiellUN Climate Change Executive Secretary, told those present: “Our budget is currently less than half funded, so I ask you to address this issue, otherwise it will be impossible to meet the requirements.” basic needs of the Parties (countries) and expand their demands for the future.”

Vanessa Nakateyoung Ugandan climate activist and Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF He was somewhat dissatisfied: “The era of fossil fuels is written on the wall. But the COP28 decision is far from sufficient. Gas is a fossil fuel and not a transition fuel, carbon capture is a dangerous distraction and the emphasis on carbon offsets puts Southern countries in grave danger. Science demands the progressive elimination of fossil fuels. This is a COP out of fossil fuels.”

Kyle Stice, Executive Director of the Pacific Islands Farmers Organization Network, also pointed to funding: “COP28 put food on the menu, but governments left without paying the bill. Small family farmers, who produce a third of the world’s food, invest $368 billion of their scarce resources each year in adapting to climate change, but governments are not living up to this commitment. Adaptation funding is not charity: it is an investment in feeding humanity. “Governments must raise the necessary funding and ensure that more funds reach grassroots organisations, where they can have the greatest impact.”

It is worth remembering that during the first day of this summit, which is being held in the year that will be the hottest in history, the operationalization of a loss and damage fund for countries affected by the impacts of climate change. Two weeks later it barely exceeds 700 million dollars, less than a third of what is needed per year.

The approved text also recognizes that limiting global warming to 1.5°C requires deep, rapid and sustained reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions of 43% by 2030 and 60% by 2035 in relation to the level of 2019, and reach zero net carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. For the moment, with the actions that follow in the text, it is not enough.