Oil and gas, in which mostly the richer countries have an interest, tried their best to single out coal, a necessity in developing countries
Strong disagreements and intense negotiations that went on well past the scheduled end of the 28th edition of the World Climate Summit (COP28) in Dubai finally produced a text that called for 바카라transitioning away바카라 from all fossil fuels 바카라 and not just coal 바카라 바카라in a just, orderly and equitable manner바카라 for the world to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
But the language, which many experts described as 바카라weak바카라 and 바카라compromised바카라, leaves loopholes that could jeopardise the biggest goal 바카라 limiting global warming within 1.5°C from the pre-industrial level by the end of the century, which a series of scientific reports published around the summit says is of utmost necessity. The world is already 1.2°C warmer than pre-industrial level.
At the end of the summit, oil and natural gas producers and users finally conceded some grounds, as the usage of 'fossil fuels바카라 found a place instead of coal alone being the target. Producers and users of coal managed to remove the condition of 바카라limitations on permitting new and unabated coal power generation바카라 from the draft released on December 11. The provision would have tightened the noose around coal by denying new investments, whereas it is still required in many developing countries, including India, China and South Africa.
The final text retained on coal only what had been earlier agreed to 바카라 바카라accelerating efforts towards the phase-down of unabated coal power.바카라 Oil and gas found no specific mention either but the recognition of 바카라transitional fuels바카라 in playing 바카라a role in facilitating the energy transition while ensuring energy security바카라 is being considered a way to allow the gas industry to operate.
Though coal, crude oil and natural gas are all considered fossil fuels, coal 바카라 on which the developing and least developed countries depend 바카라 has so long faced a harsher treatment than oil and gas, which are used in and by mostly the rich countries.
The text adopted at COP27 in Egypt called for 바카라accelerating efforts towards the phasedown of unabated coal power바카라 but did not mention oil and gas. Therefore, 바카라fossil fuel lobbyists바카라 in the current usage mostly refer to the oil and gas sector.
바카라From an Indian perspective, this text displays greater parity between coal and other fossil fuels but it appears to absolve developed countries of the responsibility of phasing out their fossil fuel use 바카라in this critical decade바카라,바카라 said Ulka Kelkar, executive director, climate, at the World Resources Institute바카라s India chapter.
She added that the reference to 바카라transitional fuels바카라 explicitly gives gas-producing countries the license to sell more gas rather than invest in renewable energy.
Vibhuti Garg, Director, South Asia, at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), echoed. 바카라The real winners of the new draft text are the fossil producers that continue to term 바카라gas바카라 as the transitional fuel,바카라 she said.
RR Rashmi, a Distinguished Fellow at The Energy Research Institute (TERI), pointed out that the new text continued to treat coal anf oil and gas differently. 바카라The decision highlights the need for orderly and just transition in all energy systems, but singles out the need of phasing down unabated coal plants. This tilts it against the developing countries,바카라 he said.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP)바카라s Emissions Gap Report (EGR) published in November, reveals how existing climate goals were already biased in favour of the richer countries. It shows that the road to limiting global warming within 1.5°C requires an 바카라unabated coal power decline바카라 by 88 percent from 2020 to 2030, while for gas and oil the reduction requirement was 14% and 10%, respectively.
The EGR, published a few days before COP28, called for 바카라faster declines in oil and gas use, and greater efforts by high-income countries바카라 to allow a just transition in coal-dependent countries like India, Brazil and South Africa, where millions to dependent on the coal economy and a rapid transition would mean an economic disaster.
Reacting to the EGR, Tom Mitchell, executive director of the policy and action research organisation International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), had said that 바카라the international investment regime protecting the interests of Big Oil is one example바카라 of 바카라deeply embedded aspects of the economic, legal and financial status quo.바카라
The Dubai summit, though started with a lot of expectations and anxieties over a possible decision to phase out of fossil fuels, never fully came out of the shadow of the oil and gas lobby, often referred to as the fossil fuel lobby 바카라 in which mostly the richer countries have a stake.
The host country, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), gets about 40% of its income from oil and gas and stands at the risk of income decrease in case a faster phase-out of all fossil fuels is mandated by the conference. Soon after the summit began, a report published by the Kick Big Polluters Out (KBPO) coalition revealed that the summit saw nearly 2,500 fossil fuel lobbyists granted access.
It signalled 바카라an unprecedented presence at crucial climate talks from representatives of some of the world바카라s biggest polluters,바카라 said the report. These lobbyists got access as part of trade associations and 바카라nine out of the ten biggest of these groups came from the Global North.바카라
The number of fossil fuel lobbyists permitted entry to the Dubai talks is More than seven times higher than official indigenous representatives (316) and more than all the delegates from the ten most climate-vulnerable nations combined (1509).
It underscored 바카라how industry presence is dwarfing that of those on the frontlines of the crisis,바카라 said the KBPO report, reflecting the continued bias in institutional climate dialogues in favour of the rich.
If filling the venue with lobbyists was not enough, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)바카라s general secretary, oil-rich Kuwait바카라s Haitham al-Ghais, also wrote to all OPEC member countries, including UAE, urging the oil states to 바카라proactively reject any text or formula that targets energy, i.e. fossil fuels, rather than emissions.바카라
The results were visible on December 11, the penultimate day of the summit, when the updated text of the Global Stock Taking (GST) 바카라 a much-anticipated appraisal 바카라 reflected continued favour for oil and gas.
The words 바카라oil and gas바카라 did not appear anywhere in the text but 바카라fossil fuel바카라 found a mention for the first time. Nevertheless, the tone was softer: 바카라Reducing both consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly and equitable manner so as to achieve net zero by, before, or around 2050 in keeping with the science.바카라
But for coal, it called for 바카라rapidly phasing down unabated coal바카라 and added the aspect of 바카라limitations on permitting new and unabated coal power generation.바카라
Intense opposition to this discrimination, mostly from developing countries, finally led to the modification of the text.
According to Harjeet Singh, head of global political strategy at Climate Action Network International, after decades of evasion, COP28 finally 바카라cast a glaring spotlight on the real culprits of the climate crisis: fossil fuels바카라 in a 바카라long-overdue direction to move away from coal, oil, and gas바카라 but the resolution 바카라is marred by loopholes.바카라
The loopholes offer the fossil fuel industry numerous escape routes, relying on unproven, unsafe technologies, Singh said.
Linda Kalcher, executive director at the pan-European think-tank Strategic Perspectives, while welcoming the first-ever mention of the need to stop burning fossil fuels at a UN climate text, pointed out it was 바카라still heavy with loopholes.바카라
It lacks timelines and fails to provide the support that the majority of the world바카라s people are going to need to finance the rapid transition that is now required, she said.
바카라Maybe this is the best that a COP being guided by the invisible hand of oil lobbies can deliver,바카라 said Vaibhav Chaturvedi, a fellow at the non-profit Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).