New declaration drafted at COP28, but no clear fossil fuel phase out

Paper calls on countries to move away from fossil fuels, rather than clear phase out

More than one hundred states at COP28 had previously called for a complete phase-out of fossil fuels. – Unsplash pic, December 13, 2023

DUBAI – A new draft for the final declaration of the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai does not include the clear phase-out of coal, oil and gas demanded by many countries. 

The text of the UNFCCC declaration under the United Arab Emirates conference presidency was published today. The 21-page paper called on countries to move away from fossil fuels in their energy systems, reported German news agency (dpa). More than one hundred states had previously called for a complete phase-out.

It also includes the goal of tripling the capacity of renewable energies by 2030 and doubling the pace of energy efficiency during this period. The G20 countries have already committed to this. 

Yesterday, the climate conference presidency published a draft text that triggered a storm of protest from many states, who criticised it as being too weak in terms of climate protection. Germany and the European Union labelled it unacceptable.

The latest draft now goes some way towards meeting these critics. – December 13, 2023