COP28 begins discussions on phasing out fossil fuels

By Lisa Zengarini and Marine Henriot - Dubai

After the opening four days, which saw Pope Francis add his authoritative voice to urge world leaders not to postpone climate action for any longer, COP28 gets into full swing this week to discuss the key issues to address the climate crisis.

Negotiators are debating the hot-button question of moving away from fossil energy sources to contain global warming within the 1.5 degrees Celsius increase agreed in the 2015 Paris Agreement, with a view to adopting a final text by the end of the COP28 scheduled for December 12.

Climate scientists say that surpassing 1.5 °C will expose the planet to more frequent and intense extreme weather events with devastating effects on the livelihood of millions of people across the world, especially in the most vulnerable countries in the Global South, as we are already witnessing today.

The COP28 final text, which is to be adopted unanimously, will set the course for the climate policy actions for the 197 States plus the European Union signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), to meet the long-term 2015 Paris Agreement goals. It will inform the new commitments that countries must submit by 2025.

According to the first global Stocktake Report on the implementation of the climate landmark agreement published in September ahead of COP28, actions carried out so far by countries are insufficient to limit the global temperature rise to within 2 °C of pre-industrial levels. The report’s technical findings showed that much more is needed by all actors both from the public and private sector.

Leaders will base their discussions in Dubai on a document prepared by the United Kingdom and Singapore, which says countries must prepare a “reduction/exit from fossil fuels."

Wording of the text 'crucial'

The wording of the text is crucial, as confirmed to Vatican News’ Marine Henriot by Lola Vallejo, Airector of the climate programme at the Institute for Sustainable Development and international relations (IDDRI).

Developing countries, alongside many faith-based organizations and civil society groups, are pressing for full “phaseout” (exit) of coal, oil and gas which are the primary drivers of climate change.  

Fossil-producing countries, on the other hand, are proposing "phasedown" (reduction) or phaseout of only of "unabated fossil fuels", i.e., those burned without using technology to capture their planet-warming emissions

Phaseout vs. phasedown

Ms. Vallejo said that that the difference between “reduction” (phasedown) and “exit” (phaseout) from fossil fuels, “would be a signal sent to the markets and all the business community showing that the era of fossil fuels is coming to an end, and that we are in the process of moving to a new energy system in which we will place much more emphasis on energy efficiency, and on renewable energies in particular”.

New technologies to capture  planet-warming emissions not a miracle solution

Regarding carbon-capture-and-sequestration technologies to mitigate the issue of CO2 emissions she remarked that, though we need these new technologies to compensate for emissions that are particularly difficult to decarbonize - for example in the heavy industry sector -  they “are limited and costly” and, therefore, cannot be considered as a “miracle solution.”

Ms. Vallejo also cautioned on the “the risk of  giving the impression that we will be able to deploy this technology on a massive scale, for example on power plants which would continue to operate with coal or gas, to ultimately continue to use fossils and expand their lifespan well beyond the recommendations given by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).”

Ms. Vallejo further reiterated the importance of the key issue of investing in adaptation, that is preparing for the impacts of global warming, both of those which are already there, and those  those to come, including building energy-saving houses. 

Loss and Damage Fund will need substantial funding from richer countries

A major achievement in the first days of COP-28 was the finalization of the Loss and Damage Fund to supply developing countries with recovery funds in response to the effects of climate disasters.  In this regard Ms Vallejo confirmed that this undoubtedly a great victory for poorer nations who have been fighting for a climate loss and damage mechanism for years. However she pointed out that its concrete functioning and funding from wealthier nations in the coming years still remain an open question.