In the heart of Dubai, At the UN Climate Conference, Annalena Baerbock, the German Federal Government's front-runner, outlined the urgent need for the global community to commit to a global shift away from fossil fuels. Baerbock vowed to put up a fierce fight for this cause, promising to turn every little screw in the negotiations to inch closer to this goal.
As the conference went on, Germany's climate envoy, Jennifer Morgan, expressed a cautiously optimistic view. Despite the challenges, she believed a good outcome was possible, albeit not without struggle. The main point of contention at the conference remains the future use of fossil fuels. While countries like Germany and the EU push for a phase-out perspective, oil- and gas-exporting nations resist this call.
The negotiations text presented earlier in the conference considered two primary options: an "orderly and fair phase-out of fossil fuels" and "accelerating efforts to phase out fossil fuels." However, exemptions were proposed for carbon capture and storage (CCS) or utilization (CCU) plants that aim to achieve CO2 neutrality by mid-century. The text even left room for not mentioning the phase-out of oil, coal, and gas altogether.
In fact, the recent COP29 held in Baku, Azerbaijan, amounted to a setback in the transition away from fossil fuels as energy sources. This highlights the ongoing challenges in reaching consensus on the phase-out of fossil fuels, as calls to transition to renewable energies collide with the perspectives of oil- and gas-exporting nations.
Progress is happening on multiple fronts, with Germany and the EU setting ambitious targets for decarbonization. Many countries have committed to reducing emissions and transitioning away from fossil fuels. Yet, these efforts face numerous challenges, including the continued funding of harmful fossil fuel subsidies and the geopolitical impact of the delayed emissions reduction efforts.
The submission of new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by February 2025 will play a crucial role in determining the global trajectory towards reducing emissions and transitioning away from fossil fuels. The upcoming submissions will display countries' dedication to address climate change and indicate if we move closer or further away from the goal of phasing out fossil fuels.
