At the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, taking place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), at least 80 countries voiced their request to reach an agreement to end fossil fuel use.
Meanwhile, some countries have opposed including this commitment in the COP28 agreement. The urgency to reduce emissions requires countries to set aside their interests to find a common voice in an agreement to combat climate change.
The proposal to gradually phase out the use of fossil fuels is one of the contents included in the first draft of the climate change action agreement. This is the issue that delegates from about 200 countries are trying to reach consensus on at COP28.
However, in the new draft that the COP28 President released, the above phrase was not mentioned, replaced by the phrase “reduce” the production and use of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal to achieve the net zero emissions target by 2050.
In the context that this Conference is considered the last opportunity for countries around the world to achieve the goal of limiting global temperature increase to below 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial times, an agreement needs to be put forward on the final meeting day of COP28.
The debate “heated up” after news that the Organisation of Petroleum Producing Countries (OPEC) sent a letter urging member countries and allied oil-producing countries to oppose the mention of fossil fuels in the final agreement of COP28. The content of the letter warned about excessive and disproportionate pressure on fossil fuels.
OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais affirmed that OPEC wanted the Conference to maintain the focus on the goal of reducing emissions that cause global warming. He emphasised that the world needs to invest heavily in all energy sources, including hydrocarbons, and the energy transition process must be reasonable, balanced and comprehensive.
Some countries, such as France and Spain strongly objected, while other countries such as Iraq, supported OPEC's position. Countries vulnerable to climate change warned that opposition to fossil fuels at COP28 will threaten the whole world. Tina Stege, special climate envoy for the Marshall Islands, said that fossil fuels pose a great risk to the future and prosperity of all people on Earth, including citizens of OPEC countries. Vanuatu's Climate Change Minister has raised concerns that a few countries are hindering efforts to reach a consensus on phasing out fossil fuels.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that the goal of bringing net emissions to zero by 2050 is considered necessary to limit the average global temperature increase below 2oC, according to the Paris Agreement on climate change. To achieve this goal, emissions from the fossil fuel sector need to be reduced by 75% between now and 2030.
According to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), to date, 130 countries have signed commitments to develop renewable energy and energy efficiency. In addition, about 50 oil and gas companies accounting for 40% of global production have signed a non-binding agreement on zero methane emissions and limited oil burning in production.
However, these are voluntary commitments, unlike the decisions made with the consensus of nearly 200 countries at COP28. The IEA said that the commitments are a step forward in the energy sector's efforts to reduce emissions but are not strong enough to help the world achieve climate goals.
In a context where it is difficult for the world to find a common voice, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated his call for strengthening multilateral cooperation to solve common challenges.
He said that in a fractured and divided world, multilateralism is the hope to solve global challenges. For climate action, both shared responsibilities, as well as different countries’ capabilities and circumstances, must be considered to make appropriate decisions.
Ha Anh - Translated by NDO