COP28 reaches agreement - but is it enough?

COP28 Climate Summit

COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber gestures at the end of the COP28 summit Source: AAP / Kamran Jebreili/AP

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An historic deal has been made by almost 200 countries at the United Nations climate summit in Dubai. After days of tense negotiations, the agreement offers a plan to keep the target of 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach, and transition away from all fossil fuels. But not everyone is satisfied with the summit outcome.


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TRANSCRIPT

"Delegates, colleagues, and friends I must say that you did it, you delivered."

After 14 days, climate representatives from around the world have come to an agreement to transition away from fossil fuels.

Nearly 200 countries, including Australia, gathered for the United Nations climate summit in Dubai.

The historic deal marks the first time in three decades nations have agreed on a collective move away from oil, gas and coal - which accounts for around 80 per cent of global energy.

It includes new measures to cope with climate change to do with adaptation, finance, flexibility and fossil fuels - with $A127 billion committed so far.

COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber has praised the deal.

"We have confronted realities and we  have set the world in the right direction. We have given it a robust action plan to keep 1.5 within reach. It is a plan that is led by the science. It is a balanced plan that tackles emissions, bridges the gap on adaptation, re-imagines global finance and delivers on loss and damage."

The future role of fossil fuels has been by far the most contentious issue at the COP28 summit - with some countries seeking a full phase-out, and others refusing to agree to such tough language.

Australia's Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen has labelled the outcome of the climate conference as a turning point.

Mr Bowen has also acknowledged that although the deal sends a clear message about the future of clean energy, it isn't exactly what everyone had hoped for.

But United States climate envoy John Kerry says gas will only play a limited and temporary role in facilitating the effort to largely phase out fossil fuels in our energy systems by 2050.

“So, small Islands states. For them, this is an immediate crisis, not something down the road and in the future. So we will continue to press for a more rapid transition, but we have the United Nations COP process clearly on record now as demanding that we fully embrace that transition.”

Saudi Arabia had been leading other oil producing nations in pushing back on the phase-out of fossil fuels, preferring to focus on emissions.

But it accepted the deal because it provides countries with different options for reducing emissions without a set timeline for the end of fossil fuel production or use.

Greenpeace Australia says it's disappointing no concrete action plan on the phasing out of fossil fuel emissions has emerged from the summit.

Head of Climate and Energy, Jess Panegyres, told SBS more urgent and immediate action is needed.

"Three key things we need to make this plan a reality. In Australia we need to firstly stop approving new fossil fuel projects. Secondly, we need to stop subsidising the fossil fuel industry and third, we really need to pay our fair share into the loss and damage finance facility to help those countries worst affected by climate change."

Some of the criticism of the COP28 outcome has come not just from green groups but from Pacific island leaders, who wanted a much more strongly worded deal than the one presented, which was as far as Saudi Arabia was prepared to go.

Anne Rasmussen is the Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States.

"It seems that you just gavelled the decisions and the Small Island developing states were not in the room. We were working hard to coordinate the 39 small island states, developing states, that are disproportionately affected by climate change. And so we were delayed in arriving here. Our leaders and ministers have been clear. We cannot afford to return to our islands with the message that this process has failed us. This first GST is of particular significance. It is the only GST that matters for ensuring that we can still limit global warming to 1.5 degrees."

But in the end, it was a COP gathering unlike any other, having produced a landmark deal on fossil fuels that oil producers, and most nations, are happy with.

 

 

 


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