Experts, activists react on Dubai COP28’s climate summit

Dar es Salaam. The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai closed on Wednesday, December 13, with a deal that aims to ‘transition away from fossil fuels’ for the purpose of achieving the net zero target by 2050. Negotiators from nearly 200 parties came together in Dubai with a decision on the world’s first ‘global stocktake’ outlining global long-term goals in cutting greenhouse gas emissions to limit global temperature rise and building resilience to climate impacts.

Issued on Wednesday, December 13, the document in its 26 (d) section reads, "Transitioning 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;

During his closing remarks, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell called this agreement the ‘beginning of the end’ for the fossil fuel era.

"Now all governments and businesses need to turn these pledges into real-economy outcomes without delay,” Mr Stiell was quoted in an official statement.

The global stocktake is considered the central outcome of COP28, which calls on Parties to take actions towards achieving, at a global scale, a tripling of renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency improvements by 2030.

The list also includes accelerating efforts towards the phase-down of unabated coal power, phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, and other measures that drive the transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly, and equitable manner, with developed countries continuing to take the lead.

COP28 President Dr Sultan Al Jaber issued a statement saying that this 21-page text brings about a balanced plan that tackles emissions, bridges the gap on adaptation, reimagines global finance, and delivers on loss and damage.

"We operationalized loss and damage... and started to fill the fund. We mobilised more than $85 billion in new financial commitments,” said Dr Jaber.

The ‘UAE Consensus', as Dr Jaber called it, is a driver towards the climate action plans.

He said, “It is an enhanced, balanced, but… make no mistake, historic package to accelerate climate action."

Fossil energy is considered a key contributor to the climate change problem through the release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

Climate activists are advocating a halt to all new permits for fossil fuel exploration, production, and infrastructure, a phase-out of all subsidies to fossil fuels, and the divestment of all public and private financial investments in the exploration, production, and distribution of fossil fuels.

This new consensus comes at a time when most of the developing countries in Tanzania are still implementing strategic projects in fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas.

This includes the ongoing 1,443km East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) from Tanzania to Uganda, the expansion of the existing Tazama oil pipeline to Zambia and the $42 billion onshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) train.

Going forward, experts said developing countries will need time to adjust to the new realities to spare economies, while global big polluters called for supporting and financing the green transition to renewables.

What experts say

University of Exeter analyst Dr Mike O’Sullivan said that while COP is meant to be the vehicle for solutions, all it seems to do is recognise problems that the rest of the world identified years ago.

"But so what? Where are the real global plans for the energy transition without relying on fanciful tech solutions with adequate support for poorer nations? Where is the global leadership to take the right action, not selfish action? Across the globe, there are plans to expand fossil production. How does this fit with the text that’s just been agreed upon? He told The Citizen.

Global Systems Institute’s Dr James Dyke, said the agreement has numerous caveats and loopholes that risks rendering it meaningless when it comes to our efforts to limit warming to well below 2°C.