The United Nations' COP28 climate talks in Dubai, a critical summit that has failed to draw the world’s currently divided attention, has hit a pivotal moment with the release of a new draft agreement.
Climate stakes are high
COP28's stakes are very high, with discussions about transitioning the world off fossil fuels especially pertinent as the talks are held in a leading petrostate.
The outcomes of these negotiations will have far-reaching implications for global climate policy and the future of energy production and consumption, and many environmentalists and policymakers regard this as our last best chance to stave off irreversible global warming that will change the course of human existence and liveability on this planet.
This agreement, which has been the subject of intense negotiations, suggests a strategy that focuses on reducing both the consumption and production of fossil fuels but stops short of prescribing the anticipated complete phase-out.
The draft merely proposes a reduction in fossil fuel usage in a "just, orderly and equitable manner", aiming to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by around 2050. It also calls for global efforts to move towards net-zero emissions energy systems using zero and low carbon fuels by mid-century.
Despite this, if agreed upon, would be the first time a COP agreement explicitly addresses fossil fuels.
Temperatures on the boil
Temperatures rose at the talks, with leaders of the nations facing the most immediate existential threat from climate change protesting that the document doesn’t go nearly far enough.
Samoan environment minister Cedric Schuster was particularly vocal in his criticism, saying that the country refused ‘to sign our death certificates’.
For small island nations like Samoa, the talks are not just arcane theory but a question of survival.
The current draft could undermine efforts to limit a global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and the sea level rises precipitated by such temperature would wipe out low-lying islands.
The agreement has drawn mixed reactions from the representatives of the negotiating states. While some argue that it still represents a significant step in strengthening global emission reduction efforts, others are adamant it lacks the necessary ambition.
Summit president Sultan al-Jaber acknowledged the gaps in the agreement but said he remained hopeful about making progress in the final days of the summit.
He asked delegates to demonstrate more ‘flexibility’ to bridge the differences. But it’s clear that we’re running out of time to be flexible in our approach to the threat of climate change.