New, stronger climate proposal released at COP28, but doesn’t quite call for fossil fuel phase-out
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A somewhat stronger and revamped proposal that calls for an eventual end to fossil fuel use was presented early Wednesday to negotiators at the United Nations climate summit known as COP28, after the conference presidency’s initial document angered many countries by avoiding decisive calls for action on curbing warming.
The new compromise doesn’t specifically use the language of calling for a “phase-out” of fossil fuels, which more than 100 nations had pleaded for. Instead, it calls for “transitioning away from fossil fuels” in a way that gets the world to net zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2050, with extra urgency for emission-slashing this decade. It calls on the world to peak its ever-growing carbon pollution by the year 2025.
Intensive sessions with all sorts of delegates went well into the small hours of Wednesday morning. Then, the United Arab Emirates-led presidency presented delegates from nearly 200 nations a new central document — called the global stocktake — just after sunrise in a city built by oil revenue. It’s the third version presented in about two weeks.
The aim of the global stocktake is to help nations align their national climate plans with the Paris agreement. Earth is on its way to smashing the record for hottest year, endangering human health and leading to ever more costly and deadly extreme weather.