COP28 Draft's Overlook Of Fossil Fuel Phaseout Sparks International Outcry: 'There Are Elements...That Are Fully Unacceptable'

The draft text of the COP28 climate deal has sparked outrage globally due to its failure to address the phasing out of fossil fuels. Key stakeholders at the summit, which is being held in Dubai, have expressed their disappointment and concern.

What Happened: A CNBC reported that the draft proposal, presented by the UAE COP28 presidency on Dec. 11, 2023, focused on emission reduction but did not enforce an end to fossil fuels, the prime cause of climate change. This omission has drawn the ire of representatives from the U.S., the European Union, and climate-threatened nations in Africa and the Pacific Islands.

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The EU’s principal COP28 negotiator, Wopke Hoekstra, labeled the draft as “clearly insufficient” in tackling the climate crisis. The U.S. Special Climate Envoy John Kerry supported this view, stressing the importance of ending fossil fuel use and greatly cutting emissions in the next decade.

“This is war for survival,” Kerry added.

Teresa Ribera, Spain's minister for ecological transition, told reporters, "We think that there are elements in the text that are fully unacceptable.”

“It is not clear at all, how it can proceed in this critical decade in the energy field,” she added.

After facing criticism for denying the scientific need to phase out fossil fuels, COP28 President and CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Sultan al Jaber, reiterated his team’s respect for the science. Nonetheless, calls for greater flexibility from the participating nations were made amidst the ongoing controversy.

Why It Matters: The controversy comes in the wake of a daring act by a 12-year-old Indian climate activist, Licypriya Kangujam who stormed the COP28 stage, demanding an end to fossil fuel usage. Despite public protests being generally restricted at the U.N. talks in the UAE, Kangujam's bold move was applauded by the COP28 Director-General, Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi, highlighting the increasing global demand for immediate action against fossil fuels.

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