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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/13/the-age-of-fossil-fuels-will-end-australias-chris-bowen-hails-cop28-agreement>
"Climate change minister Chris Bowen says the Cop28 climate summit sent a clear
message that “our future is in clean energy and the age of fossil fuels will
end”, but acknowledged it did not go as far as many countries wanted.
Nearly 200 countries agreed to a deal that for the first time called on all
nations to transition away from fossil fuels to avert the worst effects of the
climate crisis.
Speaking at the end of two weeks of intense negotiations in the United Arab
Emirates, Bowen said the summit could have broken down after the release of a
draft text that was rejected as “grossly insufficient” and a death sentence for
low-lying and vulnerable countries, but the end result would be seen as
significant.
“This is the first time that fossil fuels have ever been mentioned in a Cop
decision. And that Cop decision is that we will transition away from fossil
fuels. That is no small thing. It sends a signal to the world’s markets,
investors and businesses that this is the direction of travel for countries
right around the world,” he told reporters in Dubai.
“Of course, this decision is not what everybody would have written themselves
as they got off the aeroplane. That’s true of the Pacific, as it’s true of
Saudi Arabia, but there is a clear direction of travel. And for countries that
are at the frontline of climate change, their voices are being heard, and as
long as we have anything to do with it will continue to be heard.”
Despite the urging of 130 nations and scientists and civil society groups, the
Cop28 agreement did not include an explicit commitment to phase out, or even
phase down, fossil fuels due to resistance from countries including Saudi
Arabia and the Opec group of oil producers.
Instead, it called on countries to contribute to global efforts to transition
“away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable
manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero
by 2050 in keeping with the science”.
The final wording on fossil fuels echoed a Pacific Islands Forum agreement
reached last month, and was raised by Bowen as a possible compromise during an
intervention in a plenary session on Monday.
Countries from the global south and climate justice advocates said the text
fell short of what was needed to help the most at risk survive worsening
extreme weather and heat, and included language that appeared to placate fossil
fuel interests."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
