Behind the scenes of the summit, according to the agency, there were tears and hugs, amid the exhausted commissioners’ celebrations of an important achievement in the world’s battle against global warming.
She stated that at a time when the planet is suffering under the weight of the hottest year ever, many countries have recently insisted on the world’s pledge this time to move away from all types of fossil fuels, or “gradually get rid of them.”
Despite the agreement at the Glasgow 2021 summit to reduce the use of coal only, a coalition that includes the United States, the European Union and the island countries at risk sought to have COP28 address the issue of transitioning away from oil and gas this time as well.
A promising start
COP28 got off to a promising start with a series of announcements that included multi-billion dollar initiatives to support green solutions and vulnerable communities. Countries agreed ahead of schedule on how to manage a fund to compensate poor countries for climate damage, removing an obstacle that had hindered these endeavours.
Conference President Sultan Al Jaber also asked more than 50 major oil and gas companies to pledge to stop methane emissions. But then the negotiations nearly went off the rails.
US-Chinese cooperation
John Kerry, the US climate envoy, and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Zhenhua, were pivotal figures in bringing the countries together after they reached a consensus during their meeting in California last month. The special relationship between the two veteran diplomats – developed after years of sitting across from each other at the negotiating table – has been a key factor in global climate progress over the years.
This may be the last time the two are the center of power in COP talks, as Xi is expected to retire, and it is not clear whether Kerry, who turned 80 earlier last week, will remain in his post. Their many meetings in Dubai included Kerry’s birthday celebrations, during which Xi presented him with a series of framed photos of them together, and his grandson gave the American envoy a card.
continuous work
Negotiators worked into Tuesday night, amending the language of the resolution in an attempt to satisfy all parties. This included coal-dependent India. Developing countries, especially in Africa and South America, wanted commitments of financial support while ensuring that their economic circumstances were taken into account.
Previous international meetings served as the building blocks for the agreement. The amendments were inspired by three key words from the Pacific Islands Forum’s recent statement: “transition away” from fossil fuels rather than “phasing out” or “grading down.” While the language forcing countries to make ambitious and wide-ranging climate pledges for the year 2035 was gleaned from a joint statement issued after Xi and Kerry’s meeting last November.
Emirati-Saudi support for the climate deal
For his part, Adnan Amin, CEO of COP28, provided the first sign of hope at around 8 pm on Tuesday. After leaving the offices of the UN climate body for a brief moment, he said that delegates were close to reaching an agreement.
According to Bloomberg, the confirmed result appeared on Wednesday. Although it did not satisfy all parties, it was acceptable to everyone, and they could live with it for the time being.
Testimony against Al-Jaber
Despite this, the outcome of the conference is a testament to Al Jaber, who described his connections in the fossil fuel industry as an asset, and bet on his ability to create consensus with countries that depend on abundant oil profits.
“I don’t think anyone else could have done it,” concluded the Colombian Environment Minister. “Despite all the contradictions, and having the conference in the heart of the oil-producing world, we ended up accepting the transition away from fossil fuels.”
2023-12-19 19:56:04
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