COP28 Goes Into Overtime as Nations Debate Fossil Fuel Phase-out

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Facts

• The UN-led COP28 climate summit has gone into overtime as countries continue to talk about how to handle the future of fossil fuels. Global leaders are split over the wording of a draft text release Monday that failed to call for the complete phase-out of oil, gas, and coal.¹
• The global summit’s draft resolution on fossil fuels was highly anticipated, and various climate activists were angered by Monday's publication that dropped previous references phasing out of petroleum-based sources. While more than 100 countries support some form of a phase-out, the draft stops short of calling for such measures.²
• The two-week-long conference was hosted in Dubai and was slated to end on Tuesday, but organizers extended talks into Tuesday evening to negotiate a resolution. Despite attempts at diplomacy and extended conversations, workers were seen dismantling signs.³
• The US and EU-member states are among the nations calling for a phase-out of fossil fuels, while members of the OPEC oil producer group have called for a more measured approach to the issue. COP28 Director General Majid al-Suwaidi of the UAE said Monday’s resolution was intended to draw negotiators from nearly 200 countries to reveal their demands and advance the discussion.⁴
• Private talks are still being held and US envoy John Kerry says he believes a new draft with stronger language will be published on Wednesday. Reporters expect that new draft agreement to be the last, and all 198 countries must agree on the text for it to become an official pact between nations.¹
• COP28 President Sultan al Jaber came under fire for comments questioning the scientific validity of phasing out fossil fuels; however, he walked back the comments and said that he is committed to keeping global warming to +1.5°C above baseline. Many climate scientists say fossil fuels are the largest contributor to global warming and must be eliminated.⁵

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²CNN, ³Associated Press, ⁴Msn and ⁵CNBC.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Recharge. Monday’s COP28 draft text is not a sufficient resolution to guide climate policy, and any international agreement that wants to seriously tackle global warming must call for the total phase-out of oil, gas, and coal. The scientific consensus is clear, and net-zero emissions by 2050 are the only way to avoid a global climate catastrophe. While such policies may harm the economies of oil-rich nations, the overall health of our planet takes precedence over economic concerns. UN leaders must come together with a strongly worded draft that provides clarity on how to eliminate fossil fuels and protect the planet.
• Narrative B, as provided by Mike hulme » iai tv. Climate activists are becoming dangerously close to climate extremists who fervently push for dangerous measures that could do more harm than good. While many people can agree that climate change is a serious issue and that fossil fuels contribute to the global warming of Earth, it does not mean that we should resort to extreme policies that could destroy our modern way of life and collapse the energy sector of nations. Protecting the planet is very important, and there are reasonable measures that can produce a sustainable future, but shouting for an all-or-nothing approach to fossil fuels is unproductive.

Predictions