After the last-minute agreement at the climate summit COP28, chairman Sultan al-Jaber exclaims: “From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”
The agreement, signed by all countries, is described as historic.
It could mean the end of fossil fuels like oil, coal, and natural gas, although loopholes are warned about.
This is the first time that fossil fuels are identified as the cause of emissions that are heating up the earth.
“We should be proud of our historic achievement,” says Sultan al-Jaber, chairman of COP28 in Dubai, also the United Arab Emirates’ Minister of Energy and oil sheikh.
COP28 Agreement: Climate Commitments Must Be Fair
In the agreement, the idea is that countries will contribute to the world achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, but also that the approach should be fair based on the different conditions of poor and rich countries.
Renewable energy should be tripled by 2030, according to the call alongside rapid measures to transition from fossil fuels.
EU countries have been driving forces and ideally wanted fossil fuels to be phased out entirely, but this is not included in the final agreement.
“The Text Contains Loopholes”
Jean Su from the Center for Biological Diversity has mixed feelings about the agreement:
“On one hand, it’s a good signal that the world is finally dealing with fossil fuels after nearly three decades of refusing to do so. On the other hand, the text contains loopholes that allow the US and other fossil-producing countries to continue increasing their extraction,” she says.
The UN Climate Conference COP28 in Dubai was supposed to conclude on Tuesday, but negotiations have been difficult and have overrun.
