A historic agreement at the Dubai Climate Summit. Nearly 200 countries have agreed to “transition” away from fossil fuels in their energy systems. This is the first explicit recognition of the need to end oil, gas and coal in the 28th edition of this meeting against climate change. It could be ‘the beginning of the end for fossil fuels’This was stated by European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra on Wednesday before entering the plenary session where the vote took place.
The text recently presented to the plenary sought language that was acceptable to all, but also indicated where the future of the planet should go. It is no longer talking about “phasing out” or “reducing” fossil fuels, as the most ambitious countries have called for, but instead talking about “making a transition” toward abandoning these fossil fuels in energy systems that are “fair, regulated and equitable.” “This language, which shows the path to abandonment, is equivalent to agreeing to a gradual cancellation, as interpreted by Danish Climate Minister Dan Jørgensen.
he The agreement is “historic”The President of the twenty-eighth session of the Conference of the Parties, Sultan Al Jaber, said before the plenary session, immediately after the agreement was approved. It presents a “robust plan” to keep the global planetary temperature at 1.5 degrees Celsius, a threshold above which the effects of climate change will multiply. However, he also admitted that “we have to do it Take the necessary measures So that this agreement is translated into concrete actions.
The text was presented after a day and a half of intense negotiations after the first draft sparked successive criticism from dozens of countries, for not expressing the urgent need to act in this decade against climate change to limit global warming to no more than one degree and five degrees. Science says that after 2030, it will no longer be possible to set the global temperature at this threshold, and impacts such as intense and frequent heat waves, rising sea levels or powerful hurricanes will multiply.
The final text “recognizes” the need to make deep, rapid and sustainable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, which must fall by 43% in 2030 to maintain the 1.5°C threshold. For this reason, the Convention “requires” parties to contribute within their means.
Triple renewable energy
Among the measures setting this path, the text not only refers to the need to move away from energy supported by fossil fuels. It also includes an idea Three times the installation of renewable energy sources Until 2030, energy efficiency will be doubled; Accelerating efforts to “phase out” coal-based power whose emissions cannot be captured (something already included in previous agreements) and accelerating clean or low-carbon technologies that include not only renewables but also renewable energy. Nuclear Energy, and carbon dioxide reduction and removal technologies, such as carbon capture, utilization and storage and low-emission hydrogen production.
In addition, the report calls for accelerating global efforts toward net-zero energy systems, using zero- or low-carbon fuels, before or near mid-century. Calls for an end to “inefficient” fossil fuel subsidies and the need to attack another greenhouse gas other than carbon dioxide by 2030: methane gas, In addition to accelerating the reduction of road transport emissions.
A “strong” message.
“Such a powerful text Reason for optimismBut he is “sending a strong message” to the world, said US climate envoy John Kerry, who admitted that no one can see that his views are 100% reflected. He specifically noted that peak emissions should not be reached in 2025. Additionally, he announced that the United States and China would update their long-term emissions reduction plan.
“It is a day when we are happy that humanity has finally done what it should have done 30 years ago,” European Commissioner Hoekstra said.
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