COP28 Breakthrough: World unites to shift from fossil fuels in historic climate accord

Representatives from 196 countries reached a groundbreaking accord to transition away from fossil fuels at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai. The summit, held in the heart of Arab oil country, faced overt opposition from OPEC, the powerful oil-producing group.

The UAE presidency of COP28 implemented a strategic approach, deliberately releasing provocative drafts during the two-week summit to push negotiators to disclose their positions and find common ground. The United States and China, leveraging a two-decade-long personal relationship between their climate envoys, played a crucial role in persuading OPEC leaders to endorse the move away from oil, gas, and coal.

At the end of the conference, after moments of near-crisis and extended sessions, negotiators emerged with an accord calling for a global “transition” away from fossil fuels. This marks the first time in history that countries have collectively expressed a desire to end the era of oil. The deal also offers an option for mitigating the climate impact of existing fossil fuels through technologies like carbon capture and sequestration.

U.S. Special Climate Envoy John Kerry hailed the agreement as a triumph for multilateralism, while COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber described it as “historic.” Despite concerns from some delegates, such as the Alliance of Small Island States, about loopholes for continued fossil-fuel use, the accord was ultimately accepted.

Ahead of the conference, there were doubts about the UAE’s suitability as the host, given its status as a significant oil producer. However, UAE’s COP28 President Al Jaber, also heading the UAE’s state oil company ADNOC, aimed to avoid a failed conference. Press releases from Al Jaber’s office highlighted EU and US-led commitments to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 and a US-China cooperation agreement in California in November.

OPEC, controlling 80 per cent of the world’s oil reserves, had explicitly opposed any agreement targeting the phasing out of fossil fuels. A letter from OPEC to its members on Dec. 6 raised concerns about the summit’s potential failure.

Facing entrenched positions, Al Jaber employed a provocative strategy, releasing a draft deal text that outlined a “menu” of options for combating climate change, without mentioning a “phase out.” The ensuing outrage allowed negotiators to reveal their true positions.

In a unique move, Al Jaber organised a majlis, where negotiators openly outlined their positions, laying bare the widespread demand to address fossil fuels. The COP28 presidency extended meetings into the early-morning hours, using time pressure to secure the best possible deal. The final draft deal was released a day after the summit’s scheduled end.

While the term “phase out” remained a red line due to its political charge, sources revealed that John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua, considered alternative wording. Their recent climate cooperation agreement, which focused on the accelerated substitution of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, provided a roadmap for the COP28 accord.

The inclusion of carbon capture in the final agreement seemed to be a concession to OPEC, particularly Saudi Arabia, supporting the accord by leaving countries to decide their pathways to cleaner energy.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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