Participants in the United Nations Climate Conference (COP28) agreed on Wednesday to begin reducing global consumption of…Fossil fuel To avoid the bad consequences of climate change, in the first agreement of its kind.
The agreement, reached by representatives of nearly 200 countries in the UAE city of Dubai, after arduous negotiations for two weeks, aims to send a strong message to investors and policymakers that the world is now united in wanting to stop using fossil fuels, something scientists say is the last hope. To ward off the catastrophe of climate change.
The head of the COP28 conference, Sultan Al Jaber, described the agreement as “historic,” but added that its real success will be in its implementation.
“We are what we do, not what we say,” Al Jaber said. He added, “We must take the necessary steps to transform this agreement into concrete measures.”
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said of the agreement, “It is the first time that the world has united around such a clear text on the necessity of transitioning away from fossil fuels.”
More than 100 countries pushed hard for the inclusion of strong language in the COP28 agreement related to “phasing out” the use of oil, gas and coal, but they also faced strong resistance from members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).OPEC) led by Saudi Arabia, who say that the world can reduce emissions without dispensing with certain fuel sources.
That battle led to the summit being extended until Wednesday.
Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva called on developed countries to take the lead in the energy transition and provide “the necessary means” to developing countries.
The agreement specifically calls for “a transition away from the use of fossil fuels in energy systems, in a fair, orderly and equitable manner to achieve the goal of zero emissions by 2050 in line with science.”
It also calls for tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030, accelerating efforts to reduce coal consumption, and accelerating the use of technologies such as carbon capture and storage that can transform sectors that are difficult to decarbonize to become clean.
Having reached the agreement, countries are now responsible for implementing the agreements through national policies and investments.
The conference is organized annually in a different country, with the country representing one of the five continents of the world.
According to the United Nations, the Earth is now about 1.1 degrees Celsius warmer than it was in the 19th century.
The goal of the Paris Agreement is to prevent global temperatures from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, as this is considered the upper limit to avoid the worst possible repercussions of climate change.
On Monday, the COP28 Climate Summit in the UAE witnessed the official announcement of Azerbaijan hosting the COP29 Climate Summit.