Sultan Al Jaber, president of the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), struck the gavel to thunderous applause. It was a historic moment. Nearly 200 countries around the world unanimously adopted a resolution transitioning away from fossil fuels. The end of fossil fuels began from this moment.
"We should be proud of this historic achievement," Jaber said.
The joy of this moment is in stark contrast to the anger, frustration, and disappointment of two days ago. Although the climate conference, originally scheduled to conclude on the 12th, was postponed by a day, it marked a new chapter in history with the first Global Stocktake.
On the morning of the 13th, Dubai time, the final resolution of the 28th United Nations Climate Conference (COP28) was released, and the gavel was struck by the President of the conference, Sultan Al Jaber.
Image credit: UNclimatechange (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
Fossil fuels included in climate resolution for the first time
The Paris Agreement commits all countries to limiting global average temperature rise to well below 2°C, and striving to limit it to 1.5°C. To assess the carbon reduction gap, a stocktake is conducted every five years. COP28 must decide on a clear action plan as the foundation for global climate action.
The draft resolution on the 11th called for a "fair, orderly, and equitable reduction in fossil fuel consumption and production," but made no mention of the "phased phase-out" of fossil fuels sought by Europe, the United States, and small island states. On the morning of the 13th, the General Assembly amended the text to include a "divestment" from fossil fuels "in a fair, orderly, and equitable manner," aiming to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 in a science-based manner. The draft resolution was adopted unanimously during the plenary session.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) pointed out that the version of the resolution adopted did not achieve a complete phase-out of all fossil fuels, but the wording was much improved compared to the previous draft.
"We haven't turned the page on the fossil fuel era, but this is clearly the beginning of the end," said Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Compared with the past, the climate conference two years ago (COP26) was the first to include a gradual reduction in coal in the agreement, and this time the scope is broader, covering oil and natural gas.
Norway's Climate and Environment Minister Espen Barth Eide said this was the first time the world had come together to clearly communicate the need to transition away from fossil fuels. He said this had always been the elephant in the room (obvious but willfully ignored), but we finally decided to confront it head-on.
According to Reuters, the resolution also includes tripling global renewable energy production capacity by 2030, accelerating the elimination of coal, and accelerating the development of carbon capture and storage technology to assist industries that are difficult to reduce emissions, such as cement, steel, petrochemicals and other heavy industries.
US Representative John Kerry said that "transitional fuels can only play a limited and temporary role," and stressed that "carbon capture technology can only be applied to industries that are difficult to reduce emissions."
Oil producers' concessions are a belated victory
As global warming continues to hit record highs, calls for phasing out fossil fuels are stronger than in previous years at this year's conference. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), feeling the pressure, firmly opposes including the elimination of fossil fuels in the resolution.
When the president of the General Assembly announced the agreement's unanimous approval, the room erupted in applause. The Saudi delegation, however, did not join in the clapping. However, the Saudi delegation stated, "We must use all available resources to reduce emissions, regardless of where they come from." The Guardian interpreted this as meaning the need to scale up carbon capture technology.
The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) believes the wording of the resolution is an improvement over the previous version, but is concerned about loopholes. The alliance's president, Samoan Environment Minister Cedric Schuster, said they were not present when countries announced their agreement on the text and called the findings of the review "weak and lacking in resolve."
"It took us 30 years to achieve this result, it's too late," said Wopke Hoekstra, the new EU climate commissioner.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement on the final resolution on the social media platform X: "Whether you like it or not, the phase-out of fossil fuels is inevitable. Hopefully, it won't be too late."
The climate conference, which was originally scheduled to close on the 12th, was postponed for one day. Many protesters gathered outside the venue and demanded the gradual elimination of fossil fuels.
Image credit: UNclimatechange (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
References:
1. Guardian (December 13, 2023), COP28 Live Updates
2. Reuters (December 13, 2023), Nations strike deal at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels
3. Reuters (December 13, 2023), Reaction to the final COP28 climate deal
4. Euronews.Green (December 13, 2023), Live. COP28: Landmark deal signals ‘beginning of the end’ for fossil fuels at UN climate conference
5. The Washington Post (December 13, 2023), COP28 Live Updates
Source: Environmental Information Centre
