Cop28 deal on shelving fossil fuels falls short ‘without people power’

The Cop28 deal is not strong enough to deliver an end to fossil fuels without global people power to drive government action worldwide, according to Friends of the Earth.

The environmental campaigning organisation cited the “litany of loopholes” identified by the small island states most vulnerable to climate change, which it said could allow fossil fuel interests continue business as usual unless citizens and campaigners demand the systems change that was needed.

The Cop28 climate summit on Wednesday approved a deal that would for the first time push nations to move away from fossil fuels to avert the worst effects of climate change.

The deal recognises “the need for deep, rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions” and calls for parties to contribute to “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science”.

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“The fossil fuel ‘elephant in the room’ has finally been put front and centre thanks to the tireless efforts of civil society around the world,” said Jerry MacEvilly, head of policy in Friends of the Earth.

“Yet the ‘elephant’ remains on the rampage. Cop28 broke the climate silence on fossil fuels but it has not yet broken the grip of fossil fuel interests on our energy system and on much of our political system. Today’s agreement signals the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era but it does not ensure it. We the people will have to do that,” he said.

“The Cop ultimately failed to provide for fossil fuel phase-out that’s fair, fast, full, funded and forever. References to unproven technologies and undefined terms like ‘abatement’, ‘low emission fuels’, as well as carbon offsets, leave the door open to delay tactics and continued pollution,” he said.

“The Cop text points to new renewables and energy efficiency goals and a ‘transition away from fossil fuels’, including ‘critical action this decade’ to global warming to 1.5 degrees. Yet the reality is that only a comprehensive, swift and equitable fossil fuel phase-out will prevent the disastrous 3 degrees temperature rise where we’re currently headed.”

However, chairwoman of the Climate Change Advisory Council Marie Donnelly said the outcome of an agreement was a positive thing.

“I think that’s very positive because if we hadn’t reached an agreement, we would be in total disarray,” she said. “I think the second thing is we saw in Cop a very visible attempt by the fossil fuel industry to derail the process, to deny the science and of the real need for taking measures in the area of fossil fuels. And I think it’s a real success that that lobby was actually defeated as part of this process. So from my perspective, that is a real success. I think the words you know, diplomacy is diplomacy. And you can say the same thing in 10 different ways. And sometimes you have to find an 11th way to say it in order to get everybody on board.

“For me, this is the signal. This is effectively the starting gun. Now, we can be serious about the discussion of phasing out fossil fuels.”

Ms Donnelly said that setting targets would help enormously, especially with regard to renewable energy investments, energy efficiency as they were very effective measures.

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ActionAid said the latest Cop28 Global Stocktake “maps a rocky road towards a fossil free future”.

ActionAid Ireland chief executive Karol Balfe, said: “While the new text sends a signal that the fossil industry’s days are numbered, the wealthiest countries have clearly refused point blank to offer any new finance to help developing countries make these targets a reality on the ground. Rich countries want to have their cake and eat it. But they should remember —there’s no such thing as a free climate target. This text means that lower-income countries already being pushed into debt by the cost of climate disasters may be forced to make impossible choices between economic security and climate action.”

Ms Balfe added: “The text has many loopholes and offers several gifts to the greenwashers, with mentions of carbon capture and storage, so-called transition fuels, nuclear power and carbon markets. Overall, it maps a rocky road towards a fossil-free future.”

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