The final Cop28 text was regarded as historic by delegates, including the US, EU and small islands, but most agree there’s still work ahead.
Negotiators arrived in a good mood on Wednesday morning to the final Cop28 plenary in Dubai. At around 11 am, they adopted the final text of the global stocktake, in what delegates regarded as a historic moment.
The final text for the first time mentions all fossil fuels, “calling on” parties to “transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner”.
Most delegates were satisfied with the result, with no country opposing the text in the final plenary. Vulnerable nations and some observers had mixed feelings.
EU: Beginning of the end of fossil fuels
EU chief negotiator Wopke Hoekstra told a press huddle outside the plenary that the global stocktake text, the main outcome from Cop28, was “truly consequential” and the “beginning of the end of fossil fuels”.
The EU’s Wopke Hoekstra describes this text as “truly consequential” and “the beginning of the end of fossil fuels” #Cop28 pic.twitter.com/aZxYYubcsO
— Joe Lo is @[email protected] (@joeloyo) December 13, 2023
AOSIS: Litany of loopholes
Samoan negotiator Toiata Uili, representing the bloc of small islands, told the plenary:
“In terms of safeguarding 1.5C in a meaningful way, the language is certainly a step forward, it speaks to transitioning away from fossil fuels in a way the process has not done before. But we must note the text does not speak specifically to fossil fuel phase-out and mitigation in a way that is in fact the step change that is needed. It is incremental and not transformational.
“We see a litany of loopholes in this text that are a major concern to us.”
US: Strong messages
US climate envoy John Kerry told the plenary:
“While nobody here will see their views completely reflected in a consensus document of so many nations, the fact is that this document sends very strong messages to the world.
“First, the document highlights that we have to adhere to keep 1.5C within reach. That is the North star. We therefore must do those things necessary to keep 1.5C. Everything we can to achieve this goal.
“In particular it states that our next [national climate plans] will be aligned with limiting warming to 1.5C. I think everyone has to agree this is much stronger and clearer as a call on 1.5C than we have ever heard before.”
Saudi Arabia: Silence
The Saudi delegation does not join in the applause as #Cop28 president says “We have language on fossil fuel for the first time ever” pic.twitter.com/wv2qa7zqje
— Joe Lo is @[email protected] (@joeloyo) December 13, 2023
UAE: “balanced” deal
Cop28 president Sultan Al Jaber told the final plenary in Dubai:
“It is an enhanced, balanced, but make no mistake historic package to accelerate climate action. It is the “UAE Consensus”. Many said this could not be done.
But when I spoke to you at the very start of COP, I promised a different sort of COP. A COP that brought everyone together, private and public sectors, civil society and faith leaders, youth and indigenous peoples. Everyone came together from day one. Everyone united, acted and delivered.”
France: Still work ahead
French minister for energy transition Agnès Pannier-Runacher told reporters outside the plenary:
“We need to be very cautious and to report and make sure that every country improves their NDCs and that, at the same time, we are going to put the money on the field so that developing countries can do their own transitions and adaptations. That is what is at stake today — how will the finance come to the most vulnerable countries?”
Germany: Multilateralism delivers
German state secretary and special envoy for international climate action Jennifer Morgan said in a statement:
“Today the world adopted a historic decision that is strongly guided by the 1.5C limit. There is an unmistakable signal that the future is renewables and not fossil fuels. For the first time, countries made the decision to transition away from fossil fuels, accelerating action in this critical decade.
“Today we showed that multilateralism delivers. Tomorrow we drive these decisions forward. We must be fast. We must be deliberate, with ambition and solidarity for climate justice.”
UN chief: Progress gathering pace
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres told the Cop28 plenary:
“Whilst we didn’t turn the page on the fossil fuel era in Dubai, this outcome is the beginning of the end. These climate conferences are of course a consensus-based process, meaning all Parties must agree on every word, every comma, every full stop.
“This is not easy. It’s not easy at all. Indeed it underscores just how much these UN conferences have achieved in recent decades.
“Without them we would be headed for close to 5 degrees of warming – open-and-shut death sentence for our species. We’re currently headed for just under 3 degrees. This still equates to mass human suffering, which is why Cop28 needed to move the needle further.
“The global stocktake showed us clearly that progress is not fast enough, but undeniably it is gathering pace.”
John Kerry says that the US and China “both intend – based on many initiatives set out in Global Stocktake – we will again update our long term strategies and we invite other parties to join us in doing so” #Cop28
— Joe Lo is @[email protected] (@joeloyo) December 13, 2023
WRI: More finance needed
Ani Dasgupta, President and CEO, World Resources Institute said in a statement:
“Fossil fuels finally faced a reckoning at the UN climate negotiations after three decades of dodging the spotlight. This historic outcome marks the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era. Despite immense pressure from oil and gas interests, high ambition countries courageously stood their ground and sealed the fate of fossil fuels.
Now a critical test is whether far more finance is mobilized for developing countries to help make the energy transition possible.”
The #COP28 #GlobalStocktake text was gaveled through without any comments allowed from Parties. The text is severely lacking in assurances for climate finance, and equity – indications that developed countries must take the lead – is almost entirely missing.
— Brandon Wu (@brandoncwu) December 13, 2023
Climate Action Network: Marred by loopholes
Harjeet Singh, head of global political strategy at Climate Action Network International said in a statement:
“After decades of evasion, Cop28 finally cast a glaring spotlight on the real culprits of the climate crisis: fossil fuels. A long-overdue direction to move away from coal, oil, and gas has been set. Yet, the resolution is marred by loopholes that offer the fossil fuel industry numerous escape routes, relying on unproven, unsafe technologies.
The hypocrisy of wealthy nations, particularly the USA, as they continue to expand fossil fuel operations massively while merely paying lip service to the green transition, stands exposed.”
