At the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, UN climate chief Simon Stiell voiced his concern over the current draft of the final document, dubbed the global stocktake. He deemed it a "grab bag of wish lists", urging the negotiating parties to sort it out and commit to phasing out fossil fuels, marking the end of the fossil age as we know it.
Stiell emphasized the availability of tools and technologies to accelerate climate protection. EU Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need to phase out fossil fuels to reach peak emissions by 2025. However, challenges persist, with major players like Saudi Arabia and India opposing a commitment to phase out fossil fuels due to financial and developmental concerns.
The challenges to formally phasing out coal, oil, and gas are multifaceted. Financially, nations must commit to significant investment in renewable energy and infrastructure. Economically, countries like Saudi Arabia and OPEC members oppose any language targeting fossil fuels directly. Developing nations argue for the need to produce fossil fuels to meet their energy demands and economic development needs.
The debate also includes resistance from OPEC and OPEC+ members, and differing pathways for developed and developing nations. Politically, the will to phase out fossil fuels is questionable, with some countries proposing withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.
Stiell, however, remains optimistic. "The tools are all on the table," he said, emphasizing the availability of technologies and solutions. The EU repeated its stance, with Hoekstra urging the COP28 to mark the beginning of the end for fossil fuels. Despite the challenges, the pressure to act against climate change remains mounting.
