After tough negotiations, the almost 200 countries agreed to the latest draft of the summit presidency. The text goes beyond the first proposal, which spoke of “reducing” the use of coal, oil and gas, but does not advocate their total abolition.
For many analysts, the agreement was “impossible,” but in the end it was COP28 has approved a “Transition” away from fossil fuels by 2050, as proposed in the latest draft of the Dubai Climate Summit Presidency. The approved text goes beyond the previous proposal – there was talk of “reducing” the use of oil, gas and coal – but does not advocate abolition Total fossil fuels.
The almost 200 countries debated intensively over these two weeks and the agreement called “Global Balance” was unanimously adopted in the plenary session. The text calls on countries to begin a transition away from fossil fuels to act properly and fairlyto accelerate action in this crucial decade to reach the goal of net zero emissions by 2050, science says.
Opening a path to abandoning these types of energy was the EU's priority at this summit European Union and other developed countries, as well as for countries that are highly vulnerable to climate change, such as many developing countries. The EU Commissioner for Climate Protection, Wopke Hoekstra, described the decision as “historic”. “We have thus achieved what we set out to do: keep 1.5 degrees within our reach (in terms of global warming limit) and mark the beginning of the end of fossil fuels,” he assured.
However, until the COP28 plenary session, there was uncertainty over whether an agreement marking the end of the fossil fuel era would be adopted Oil countries like Saudi Arabia, which they described as the main opposition.
“It is a historic and unprecedented achievement,” said the President of COP28, the Emirati Sultan Al Yaber, in the plenary session, who thanked the “hard work” of the delegations in the last two weeks and especially in the last hours there the countries negotiated until dawn to reach a consensus.