DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Delegates to the United Nations climate talks had little time to decide how the world will limit greenhouse gas emissions and keep the worst effects of warming at bay, as a sense of urgency grew, new drafts emerged on important aspects of the summit.
Simon Stiell, executive director of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, told reporters Monday morning that the “climate wolves” were still at the door as negotiations at the conference neared their climax.
“We don’t have a minute to lose in this crucial final stretch and none of us slept much,” said Stiell. He added that “the areas where options need to be negotiated have been significantly narrowed,” particularly how to reduce planet-warming emissions and “transition with appropriate support means to achieve this.”
Asked directly whether it was possible that negotiators could leave Dubai without a deal, Stiell did not deny that this could happen.
“One thing is certain: 'I win, you lose' is a recipe for collective failure,” he said.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was expected to return to the talks on Monday to reiterate his calls for countries to commit to sharp cuts in fossil fuels and limiting warming.
“We are on the brink of climate catastrophe and this conference must mark a turning point,” Guterres said Sunday evening on X, formerly known as Twitter.
COP28 President Sultan al Jaber on Sunday reiterated his calls for an ambitious outcome in line with the Paris Agreement, which calls for limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).
“Failure or lack of progress or reducing my ambitions is not an option,” Al Jaber said.
The contentious issues of Global Balance – the side of the negotiations that assesses where the world stands on its climate goals and how they can be achieved – are familiar topics. Many countries, such as small island states as well as European and Latin American countries, are calling for a gradual phase-out of fossil fuels, which are responsible for most of global warming. But other countries want looser conditions that would allow them to continue burning oil, gas and coal in some form.
Lisa Fischer, program director at E3G, said there would likely be loopholes in the law – such as the phrase “unrestricted” when mentioning fossil fuels – that would leave room for continued burning of gas and oil to somehow capture pollution, which would be expensive and expensive is complicated. . An important detail will be the definition of “unrestricted,” he said.
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