Authors: Arunima Pal, Ishika Sharma, Akankhya Rout
COP28 replaces “phasing out” of coal, oil, gas, replaces it with “reducing” fossil fuels.
A draft deal to cut global fossil fuel production has drawn criticism from the European Union (EU), United States (US) and several other countries. The draft which calls for “reducing both consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly and equitable manner” has been opposed by most countries attending the conference. However, oil rich countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran have firmly supported the draft.
On Monday, Dec. 11, the United Arab Emirates which holds the presidency of the Conference of the Parties (Cop28) summit published the draft. It was criticised as “too weak” by participants such as Australia, Canada, Chile, the European Union, Norway and the United States, part of 100 countries demanding a firm commitment to ban the usage of coal, oil and gas.
“The vast majority of countries want a stronger text: phase down with a view to a long-term phase-out, or transition away from fossil fuels,” Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told Reuters.
Eamon Ryan, Ireland’s environment minister tweeted that the draft was not “good enough”. He added, “It’s not a good text. It’s not a balanced text. It’s not ambitious enough. It doesn’t deliver the kind of language we need to phase out fossil fuels. It won’t be accepted.”
A minister from Small Island States took to X to voice her concern over the draft.
Licypriya Kangujam, a 12-year-old climate activist who disrupted the COP 28 session was detained for 30 minutes after her protest demonstration.
Negotiators and observers in the COP28 talks told Reuters that while Saudi Arabia has been the strongest opponent, other OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) members, including Iran, Iraq and Russia, have resisted attempts to insert a phase-out fossil fuel into the deal.
“Kuwait works according to a policy based on preserving the sources of petroleum wealth and their optimal exploitation and development,” Oil Minister Saad Al Barrak told the 12th Arab Energy Conference in Doha on Monday, Reuters reported.
The 2023 UN Climate Change Conference or COP28 started on Nov. 30 in Dubai, UAE and is scheduled to end on Dec. 12, 2023.
Padmashree Balram, climate activist from the Bangalore Eco Team said that phasing out fossil fuels is needed for a sustainable future, however it is not an overnight process. She further said, “While we have to adapt renewable resources, we cannot get rid of fossil fuels usage so soon.” She also said that India has a long way to go in becoming fully sustainable.
