COP28: New draft text expands fossil fuel pathways | COP28: Climate Summit in Dubai

Four days before the outcome, negotiators from around the world are negotiating the future of oil, gas and coal on Friday at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, trying to reach a compromise between the scientific imperative to exit fossil fuels and the economic development necessary for emerging nations. .

Negotiators are feverishly studying the latest draft agreement that was announced on Friday afternoon, which increased from 108 to 206 articles in one week, with the aim of completing the agreement. policeman On time on Tuesday. This document provides one, two, three, or more options on several items.

New formulas have emerged: with regard to fossil fuels, and at the heart of the discussions, five options have now been proposed, including the option of no There is no text – Nothing on this topic – or even Exit fossil fuels in accordance with the best available scientific knowledge.

Two other formulas for divesting from fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) focus more specifically on capturing emissions, which is a red flag that many countries including those in the European Union are waving.

But its fate is also mentioned indirectly elsewhere, especially in a paragraph that calls for tripling the world’s renewable energy capacity by 2030. In short, this option says: agree to replace fossil fuels, but only with renewables moving to Top markets. .

It is a phrase that mimics the joint declaration issued in November between China and the United States, the world’s two largest emitters of greenhouse gases. Beijing and Washington are committed to this Accelerate the deployment of renewable energy sources sufficiently (…) in order to accelerate the replacement of electricity production from coal, oil and gas.

UAE President policemanThe head of the UAE National Oil Company, Sultan Al Jaber, who announced on October 28 that coal, gas and oil would appear in the final text, did not return, but he reiterated on Friday, as he did six months ago, that the reduction in place given to fossil fuels was inevitable.

A decline in fossil fuel consumption is certain to occur, in the long term.He confirmed in a press conference. But he reiterated his usual position that oil should not be disposed of too quickly Realistic and practical.

We must be fair. We must be fair. We must be organized and responsible in the energy transition

Behind this: poor countries need energy to provide access to electricity, transportation and development for their citizens; If rich countries want to get rid of oil, they must lead by example and fund solar and other renewable energy sources in the rest of the world.

We will not reach an agreement without ChinaThis is confirmed by the delegation accompanying French Minister of Energy Transition, Agnes Panier-Ronacher.

Despite its opposition to the sudden exit from fossil fuels, of which it is the largest consumer in the world, it is considered… buildingParticipants in the report, unlike Saudi Arabia, which is accused of obstruction.

Negotiations are stuck

Chinese negotiator Xie Zhenhua is holding more meetings, which seems to indicate that his country does not want final failure.

Its position as a major global producer of wind and solar energy and its foothold in the world of emerging and developing countries can enable it to China to release these negotiations stuck in the second week“, confirms Yuan Ying, from Greenpeace East Asia.

In order to please Beijing, the original formulas could still emerge: It is not a binary or a trilogy, we will have to find something that allows us to reach a consensusconfides one of the negotiators from the fossil fuel exit camp.

Like every day, gatherings activate the alleys policeman28.

Dozens of young activists gathered again to demand an end to fossil fuels, during a demonstration they organized Friday for FutureThe school strike movement launched by the absent Swedish Greta Thunberg.

if policeman28 Failed to recall of these, This will call into question not only the credibility of policeman28, but it is the whole process policemanYoung Ugandan activist Vanessa Nakati also warned.