Climate Reality and it’s leader former vice President of USA and noble laureate Al Gore came, initiated strong support for phasing out fossil fuels and rigorously enforced it throughout the COP28!
|| Elsie Gabriel
For the first time in history of the COPs more than a hundred countries echoed this deal breaking negotiation to phase out fossil fuels, although it was diluted down to “ transition from fossil fuels “ leaving the texts to conclude vaguely despite the IPCC warnings.
Before anyone else,Gore has been raising awareness as a dynamic climate advocate for over two decades,including through his 2006 Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth. To reiterate Al Gores courageous message at the COP 28 itself, ”COP28 is now on the verge of complete failure. The world desperately needs to phase out fossil fuels as quickly as possible, but this obsequious draft reads as if OPEC dictated it word for word. It is even worse than many had feared. It is “Of the Petrostates, By the Petrostates and For the Petrostates.” It is deeply offensive to all who have taken this process seriously. There are 24 hours left to show whose side the world is on: the side that wants to protect humanity’s future by kickstarting the orderly phase out of fossil fuels or the side of the petrostates and the leaders of the oil and gas companies that are fueling the historic climate catastrophe. In order to prevent COP28 from being the most embarrassing and dismal failure in 28 years of international climate negotiations, the final text must include clear language on phasing out fossil fuels. Anything else is a massive step backwards from where the world needs to be to truly address the climate crisis and make sure the 1.5°C goal doesn’t die in Dubai.”
So why was it still historic? It is the first time such an agreement has been reached in 28 years of international climate negotiations. The commitment is included in the first “global stocktake” of how countries can accelerate action to meet the goals of the landmark Paris Agreement. However, many countries came away from the talks disappointed at the glaring loopholes and grey commitments.
Was COP28 a failure or success is not the question anymore. Our climate emergency looks like it will not be solved by the nations which created it. The weak outcomes clearly threw the ball back to the power of the people who really care for the planet and it’s people! I was happy to be part of the 80,000 at the conference attending sessions, negotiations,meeting and learning from new climate activists and speaking at sessions on Nature Based Solutions, Climate Education for Youth, Women and Climate Action and Ocean Literacy.
Other Outcomes
The loss and damage fund designed to support climate-vulnerable developing countries was announced on the first day of the COP merely as a pacifying goody bag. Countries have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars so far for the fund; Commitments of worth $3.5 billion to replenish the resources of the Green Climate Fund; New announcements totaling over $150 million for the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDC) and Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) An increase of $9 billion annually by the World Bank to finance climate-related projects (2024 and 2025);
But the Loss and Damage funding texts are nothing to be jubilant about.
The fund has garnered well below the damages in developing countries that are estimated at $400 billion annually, with no commitment made to increase levels of funding.
Nearly 120 countries backed COP28 UAE Climate and Health Declaration to accelerate actions to protect people’s health from growing climate impacts.
Over 130 countries have signed up to COP28 UAE Declaration on Agriculture, Food, and Climate to support food security while combatting climate change.
Global Cooling Pledge has been endorsed by 66 countries to reduce cooling related emissions by 68% .
Although ambitious NDCs have been outlined for nations as homework,the questions about the finance necessary to incentivize action wasn’t clear.
So COP 28 has infact put the power back in the People of the Planet, in local action and power of the communities. If there is hope it will have to come from you and me. Get up, rally, negotiate and keep working on climate solutions. The planets life depends upon each of us.
