Good morning to you – COP28 got here to an in depth final week. After our workforce and delegation traveled and rested, we spent a while analyzing the ultimate outcomes of the convention. We’re diving into the outcomes for our remaining digest right this moment. Thanks for spending your time with us these previous two weeks!
Simply at some point past the scheduled finish of COP28, negotiators attended the closing plenaries to agree on the official end result doc: the UAE Consensus. Let’s dive into the highest three outcomes, each from the doc and the convention itself. Contemplate these your local weather speaking factors over the winter and vacation season.
The doc requires the “transitioning away” from fossil fuels.
Sure, it is a hard-fought, 30-years-in-the-making second. In case you bear in mind final yr’s end result, the ultimate doc solely known as for the section down of coal and dangerous subsidies of fossil fuels. Some are calling this language, this second, the start of the tip of fossil fuels. Whereas that could be true on some stage, the doc can also be disappointing, imperfect, and never sufficient. In a time when phasing out fossil fuels is paramount to mitigation emissions and working in step with local weather science, the “transitioning away” language falls flat. There’s no naming of oil and gasoline, or arduous deadlines for section out.
This language was included and agreed on within the face of huge opposition from fossil gas pursuits — the biggest variety of lobbyists ever to attend a COP, the truth is. And nonetheless, nations on the entrance traces of the local weather disaster are rightly naming the doc as stuffed with loopholes.
The doc, in a really perfect world, might be a catalyst for the renewable power transition. It requires the tripling of renewable power by 2030 and doubling power effectivity. In its essence although, it’s fragile. The phrases depend on critical, pressing, and well-funded motion from the precise leaders that agreed on the phrases. Within the coming months forward of COP29, the world will probably be looking ahead to precise motion. Not simply phrases.
The necessity for justice is the writing on the wall.
The inclusion of “transitioning away” from fossil fuels language wouldn’t have been attainable with out the stress from Indigenous leaders, island nations, activists, civil society, and nations on the frontlines of local weather change impacts; the individuals and communities who would not have time for posturing, as a result of their lives are at stake. Many have known as this COP “enterprise as traditional” as a result of lack of actual ambition in its outcomes.
Whereas the Loss and Injury Fund was realized, COP28 completed with roughly $770 million {dollars} pledged — roughly 0.2% of what frontline nations really need yearly to adapt to excessive climate, drought, lack of life, lack of infrastructure, and different impacts. Since there isn’t any obligation to pay into the fund, the extent of belief is low; to not point out the truth that a number of the funds pledged had been repeats of present pledges.
A scarcity of funding general entering into the fingers of communities on the frontlines is limiting justice-based options, leaving poorer nations with small capability to pay for clear power, adaptation, and mitigation measures. And these communities mustn’t have needed to wait 30 years for the mere point out of fossil fuels to come back into play. If the worldwide neighborhood had taken incremental motion on the scale wanted 30 years in the past, lives would have been saved.
Carbon conversations are on the rise — elimination, storage, and seize.
The mechanics for carbon elimination, and seize and storage, are central to Article 6 of the Paris Settlement, nevertheless not a lot progress was made at COP28 to instill belief, requirements, or rules for this course of.
Starting from nature-based carbon sinks like mangroves to local weather tech like direct air seize, carbon elimination is a part of the dialog. Sure, the IPCC states we have to take away carbon from the environment to align with the 1.5 purpose. The principle concern? The applied sciences aren’t viable but to make any huge influence — and carbon elimination is commonly seen as an excuse to proceed emitting, slightly than a wanted tactic in tandem with phasing out fossil fuels. If there’s any method ahead with the voluntary carbon markets, it have to be developed whereas phasing out fossil fuels and listening to the communities which might be typically those managing the idea of the carbon credit (i.e. preserving forests on Indigenous lands, and many others.)
Science tells us we’d like each mitigation and carbon elimination, however the present iteration of carbon markets, carbon offsets, and techniques is mistrusted, riddled with loopholes, and doesn’t include clear reporting throughout the worldwide neighborhood. We count on these conversations to turn out to be extra charged, concerning the injustices they contribute to, throughout COP29.
For extra particular pledges, actions, and commitments made throughout COP28 crossing points from agriculture to methane mitigation, see this checklist from Carbon Temporary.
Whereas worldwide agreements are important for funding motion, creating diplomacy, and offering areas for civil society to carry leaders accountable, the precise settlement textual content isn’t what makes motion occur. It’s the individuals. The individuals in management positions, in communities, on the bottom, pushing for native options like preventing air pollution, stronger requirements, public transportation, youth empowerment, training, justice, well being, and a lot extra.
Be part of us in thanking our COP28 delegates for his or her late nights, views, content material gathering, emotional processing, and collaboration as they had been our eyes and ears on the bottom in Dubai.
Due to all of you for studying and experiencing this COP with us.
We’re wanting ahead to seeing you within the work forward!
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View the visible abstract of the complete Window Into COP28 Program.