The UAE presented a draft deal at COP28 climate talks Monday, aiming to resolve a fossil fuel production and consumption impasse between developed and developing nations.
The proposed language at the United Nations climate summit could mark the first time in nearly three decades that a call to reduce fossil fuels is included in the final deal.
The 21-page plan aims to reduce global temperature increases to below 1.5C, promoting just and orderly reduction of fossil fuels, including rapid coal phase-down with limitations on new power generation.
The COP28 summit in Dubai is set to focus on a proclamation against polluting energy sources, with oil producers like Saudi Arabia vehemently opposing such measures.
Power Shift Africa’s director, Mohamed Adow, emphasized that the blueprint’s focus on fossil fuels is paving the way for significant transformation.
“This is the first COP where the word ‘fossil fuels’ are actually included in the draft decision,” Adow said. “This is the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era.”
The two-week summit which ends Tuesday – December 12 – aims to shift global economy away from oil, gas, and coal. Nations will provide UAE with input on latest text, committing to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency.
Sultan Al Jaber, the COP28 president who’s been accused of conflicts of interest because he’s also head of Abu Dhai National Oil Co., said on Sunday that he was working on getting groundbreaking language of fossil fuels into the final text.
“The COP28 presidency has been clear from the beginning about our ambitions,” a spokesperson said after the draft’s release on Monday. “This text reflects those ambitions and is a huge step forward. Now it is in the hands of the parties, who we trust to do what is best for humanity and the planet.”
The EU, US, and small island states are advocating for a phase-out of fossil fuels, with varying views on carbon capture and storage deployment.
