The draft resolution which COP28 chairman Sheikh Al-Jaber presented in Dubai yesterday contains no mention of the “fossil fuels phase-out” which the Europeans in particular had called for. Instead, it lists a range of options for a “reduction” in greenhouse gasses, for example, tripling of renewable energy by 2030, the use of various technologies, such as CO2 capture or nuclear power. Or, the possibility of reducing the consumption and production of coal, oil, and gas in a fair and orderly manner, as the text states.
Leading European negotiators rejected the draft resolution. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock: “The COP presidency’s current proposal is a disappointment. Overall, it is not sufficient. Key elements are not acceptable to us as the European Union.”
On the other hand, representatives of developing countries insisted that calls to “phase out” fossil fuels were unacceptable. According to Politico, two African diplomats, who spoke anonymously about the sensitive discussions, said that for many countries in Africa, the idea of a fossil fuel phase-out “was a non-starter.”
