COP: New proposal envisages transition away from fossil fuels without requiring their elimination

The climate conference was supposed to end on Tuesday, but negotiations continue in search of a consensus

A slightly stronger and renewed proposal calling for an end to the use of fossil fuels was presented to the negotiators of the United Nations Climate Conference, COP-28in Dubai, after the summit’s initial presidency document had angered many countries as they shied away from stronger action to curb global warming.

The new pledge does not specifically use language for a “phasing out” of fossil fuels, which more than 100 nations had supported. It calls instead for a “transition away from fossil fuels” so as to see the world eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with further urgency for reductions this decade.

Intensive sessions with all types of delegates took place until the early hours of this Wednesday. Subsequently, the UAE-led presidency presented delegates from nearly 200 nations with a new central document, called the global assessment. It is the third version presented in about two weeks.

The goal of the global assessment is to help nations align their national climate plans with the 2015 Paris Agreement. Earth is on track to break the record for the hottest year, putting human health at risk.

Countries had a few hours to see what COP-28 President Sultan al-Jaber and his team produced. They will now be able to adopt the measures or send their representatives for another round of negotiations.

In the new text, some of the terms that had most irritated the nations that were calling for drastic measures to combat climate change have been modified. Options that were previously presented as an optional “potential” have been changed to a slightly more focused “appeal to all parties”.

Rachel Cleetus, director of climate and energy policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said it was “definitely an improvement” over previous versions that environmental advocacy groups like hers had massively criticized.

Other previously presented documents addressed, to some extent, issues related to financial aid for poorer nations to adapt to global warming and emit less carbon. The United Nations Environment Program estimates that developing countries need $194-366 billion per year to adapt to a warmer world.

“Overall, I think this is a stronger text than previous versions we have seen,” said Cristina Rumbaitis del Rio, senior adviser on adaptation at the United Nations Foundation, “but it fails to mobilize the funding needed to achieve these objectives”.

“If we can’t agree on a strong signal about adaptation, where do we go from here?” said Emilie Beauchamp of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, adding that the text on adaptation did not achieve its goal. “Instead, adaptation has been relegated to the last stage of these negotiations.”

COP-28 was supposed to end on Tuesday, after nearly two weeks of work and speeches. The negotiators, however, extended the meetings to give a new formulation to the document.

Oil, gas and coal are the main drivers of warming that have pushed the Earth into what will be the hottest year on record, scientists say, with extreme weather events such as floods, hurricanes and droughts becoming more frequent and deadly. Activists, experts and many nations argue that aggressive reduction of fossil fuels is critical to limiting global warming. / AP

Source: Terra

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