13 dec 2023 om 05:40
The chairman of the climate summit in Dubai published an intended final text on Wednesday morning. It contains stronger language about stopping fossil fuels, but leaves the door open for the use of CO2 storage and natural gas as a ‘transition fuel’.
The new proposal was discussed behind closed doors for 36 hours. It is still unclear whether all countries will support the compromise.
The text does not mention a complete phase-out (phase-out) from fossil fuels, as the EU wanted, but from a “transition away from fossil fuels in the energy system”. The latter addition keeps the door open for fossil raw materials in the chemical sector. The transition should lead to net-zero emissions around 2050, the proposal states.
To achieve this, a series of sustainable techniques are recommended that must be further developed quickly. This concerns renewable energy from sun and wind, but also nuclear energy and the use of fossil fuels in combination with CO2 storage. The latter option is “particularly” for sectors where it is difficult to reduce emissions.
While an earlier proposal presented a ‘menu’ of climate measures that countries could take on a voluntary basis, measures that are needed worldwide are now outlined. Countries are called upon to contribute to this in a “nationally determined way”. So that remains voluntary.
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Earth Day remains as ‘transition fuel’
Controversially, according to the text, there is still room for “transition fuels” that provide energy security. This is a reference to the use of natural gas, to which no end date is linked. That will be a bitter pill for the EU to swallow.
Countries are called on to triple the amount of renewable energy by 2030 and to increase energy efficiency twice as fast. There must also be more electric and hybrid cars quickly and countries must work on sustainable fuels.
The text attempts to strike a balance between the wishes of country blocs with major climate ambitions, such as the EU, and blocs that depend on fossil fuels for their income. In between are many developing countries that want to go green, but do not have the money for it.
The draft text states that much more needs to be done to help poor countries in the transition. But no concrete commitment has yet been made. Moreover, rich countries are praised for their efforts to help poor countries. The question is whether poorer countries will accept that text.
‘Glimmer of hope’
The first reactions from environmental organizations are cautiously positive. “There is another glimmer of hope on the horizon,” says Maarten de Zeeuw of Greenpeace. Melanie Robinson of think tank WRI says the text would “make a dramatic difference in the fight against climate change”. According to her, it would also “withstand the immense pressure from the oil and gas industry”.
All countries will meet in a plenary meeting on Wednesday morning. It will become clear whether there is support for the proposal. The text can only be adopted if there is unanimous support.
2023-12-13 04:40:14
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