COP28 enters crunch time as divisions persist
DUBAI—The Conference of the Parties (COP28) climate negotiations entered crunch time on Monday with countries set for a final summit face off over whether to reach a global agreement to phase out fossil fuels.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres sought to encourage a consensus, saying a central benchmark of success for the COP28 would be whether it yields a deal to reduce coal, oil and gas use fast enough to avert disastrous climate change.
“That doesn’t mean that all countries must phase out fossil fuels at the same time,” he told reporters at the Dubai summit, which is scheduled to end on Tuesday but could go on longer if negotiations drag on.
A coalition of more than 100 countries including oil and gas producers the United States, Canada and Norway, as well as the European Union and climate-vulnerable island nations, want an agreement that includes language to “phase out” fossil fuels.
Blocking negotiations
Canadian Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault told Reuters a deal on phasing out fossil fuels was being opposed by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, the club of oil-producing countries.
“They’re opposed to the fossil fuel language, they’re trying to block negotiations on just about everything else. And that’s very unhelpful. And for parts of the world, life-threatening,” Guilbeault said.
“We’re the fourth largest oil and gas producer. We get it. It’s complicated. It’s unnerving. It creates uncertainty in parts of our country. But it’s not a reason not to do it.” —REUTERS
