In what is being called a “historic” agreement, nearly 200 nations have agreed to transition away from fossil fuels during the United Nations’ annual climate summit, COP28, held this year in Dubai. This pact marked the first time a consensus was reached on phasing out oil, coal and gas during the nearly three decades of these meetings.
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“For the very first time at a COP, fossil fuels have been on the table as a major part of our negotiations,” said John Kerry, U.S. special climate envoy. “And the decision that came out of this, clearly embraces transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, so as to achieve net zero by 2050.”
The aim of this climate deal is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and also includes a call to triple global renewable energy capacity come 2030. Yet, questions remain as to whether this will be enough to keep global warming inside the safety limits laid out within the Paris Agreement.
“The COP28 outcome only describes partial measures in very vague and non-committal terms,” said Joeri Rogelj, director of research at the Grantham Institute. “This leaves lots of room for interpretation which will have to be dealt with in the years to come. While the COP28 outcome is a step in the right direction, it is also a hesitant and insufficient step. It is far from clear that this will keep global warming within the safety limits set out by the Paris Agreement.”
Both climate scientists and activists have expressed their disappointment with the non-binding COP28 agreement, saying it lacks strong enough language to spur meaningful action and features numerous loopholes.
Moving away from fossil fuels is just one of several options the pact offers nations to contribute to the global carbon pollution reduction effort.
“COP28 needed to deliver an unambiguous statement about the rapid phase out of fossil fuels,” said Dr. James Dyke, from the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter. “Unfortunately, that did not happen. While the agreement’s call for the need to transition away from fossil fuels is welcome, it has numerous caveats and loopholes that risks rendering it meaningless.”
A number of countries have referred to the results of this climate summit as “incremental and not transformational.” These nations have pointed to data which shows that in order for the planet to avoid exceeding the Paris Agreement climate parameters, steep emissions cuts must be made, none of which are mandated by this latest deal.
“As the new agreement locks in high levels of emissions for years to come, the temperature will continue to rise,” said Kevin Anderson, professor of energy and climate change at the Tyndall Centre. “We face a climate emergency that the COP process appears simply unwilling or unable to address.”
However, despite the criticism, advocates of the COP28 pledge hope it will ultimately be a stepping stone to further climate action around the world in the coming years.
[JACK ALYMER]
IT’S BEING CALLED A HISTORIC AGREEMENT.
NEARLY TWO HUNDRED NATIONS AT THE U.N.’S COP28 CLIMATE SUMMIT IN DUBAI COMING TOGETHER WITH A PACT CALLING FOR A TRANSITION AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS TO ACHIEVE NET ZERO EMISSIONS BY 2050.
IT’S THE FIRST TIME A CONSENSUS OF THIS SCALE HAS BEEN REACHED – CALLING TO PHASE OUT OIL, COAL, AND GAS.
THE DEAL ALSO INCLUDES A CALL TO TRIPLE GLOBAL RENEWABLE ENERGY CAPACITY BY 2030.
[John Kerry, U.S. Climate Envoy]
“For the very first time at a COP, fossil fuels have been on the table as a major part of our negotiations. And the decision that came out of this clearly embraces transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, so as to achieve net zero by 2050.”
[JACK ALYMER]
WHILE THE AGREEMENT IS A MILESTONE, THERE ARE MANY ASKING IF IT GOES FAR ENOUGH TO CURB GLOBAL WARMING TO MEET THE LIMITS OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT.
[Alden Meyer, senior associate at E3G climate change think tank]
“We’re way off course in terms of reducing emissions, in terms of mobilizing finance, in terms of dealing with climate impacts. And this was designed to say, Okay, what do we do about it? And the decision that was just reached here says, This is what we’re going to do about it, it’s not adequate, much more should have been done and could have been done.”
[JACK ALYMER]
THE PLAN DOES NOT REQUIRE NATIONS TO PHASE OUT OIL, COAL, AND GAS.
IN FACT, MOVING AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS IS OFFERED AS JUST ONE OF SEVERAL OPTIONS THE PACT GIVES NATIONS TO CONTRIBUTE TO CARBON REDUCTION.
[Bill Hare, CEO Climate Analytics / Nicklas Hohne, New Climate Institute]
“We would have expected countries to step up with more ambitious action, more ambitious targets, but we don’t see that … We need to phase out fossil fuels completely without a back door. And at this conference, there’s actually many back doors being proposed.”
[JACK ALYMER]
CLIMATE SCIENTISTS AND ACTIVISTS ARE DISAPPOINTED THAT THE AGREEMENT FAILS TO FORCE ACTION AND SAY IT WILL ALLOW OIL-PRODUCING NATIONS TO UNDERMINE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS.
SEVERAL COUNTRIES CRITICIZED THE PACT FOR BEING NON-TRANSFORMATIONAL.
[Cassie Flynn, global director of climate change at UNDP]
“Countries took to the floor and said ‘this isn’t what we want, we want something that is bolder, we want something that moves faster, we want something that gives a clearer signal to the world, that fossil fuels are an industry of the past.”
[JACK ALYMER]
THOSE NATIONS POINTED TO DATA THAT SAYS STEEP EMISSIONS CUTS MUST HAPPEN IF THE PLANET IS TO AVOID EXCEEDING THE PARIS CLIMATE PARAMETERS.
NO EMISSIONS CUTS ARE MANDATED BY THIS LATEST DEAL.
[John Kerry, U.S. Climate Envoy]
“We supported the call for clearer language about the need to largely phase out fossil fuels. But look, given the makeup of this 195-nation entity, it’s pretty clear that was more than a steep climb. And, you know, we hardly expected certain countries to show up saying, oh, yeah, we’re just going to turn around and do that immediately. But they did sign on, and they are transitioning.”
[JACK ALYMER]
DESPITE THE CRITICISM, ADVOCATES OF THE COP28 PLEDGE HOPE IT WILL ULTIMATELY BE A STEPPING STONE FOR FURTHER CLIMATE ACTION AROUND THE WORLD IN THE COMING YEARS.
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