Denmark's climate minister Dan Jorgensen struck an optimistic tone today calling the UN Cop 28 climate summit's decision to agree to transition away from fossil fuels "fantastic", even though he admitted he would have liked it to be stronger.
The 198 parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted today the text of the global stocktake, which called on parties "to contribute to…global efforts" to tackle climate change, including "transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade," to reach net zero by 2050. This marks the very first time that language to curb all fossil fuels has been included in a final Cop final text.
The global stocktake measures progress towards the Paris Agreement and its goal to limit global warming to "well below" 2°C above pre-industrial levels and preferably to 1.5°C, and will inform the next round of climate pledges due in 2025. It is the main outcome of this summit.
Speaking to reporters shortly after the summit's closing remarks, Dan Jorgensen said that what has been achieved at Cop 28 is "fantastic", although Denmark, like many other European countries, would have liked to see even stronger language on the phase out of fossil fuels. Jorgensen together with South African forestry minister Barbara Creecy facilitated discussions at political levels for the global stocktake.
"We are here, in an oil state, surrounded by oil states, and almost 200 countries have said we need to move away from oil and gas, that we need renewables instead," Jorgensen said.
"It's embarrassing that it took 28 years, but now we are finally here," Jorgensen said. "Finally, it seems that the world has acknowledged that we need to move away from fossil fuels."
The UAE came in for sharp criticism from environmentalist after picking Sultan al-Jaber, the chief executive of Abu Dhabi's state-owned Adnoc, to chair the Cop 28 summit. The Cop 28 president faced intense scrutiny, with his commitment called into question during the summit.
But Jorgensen said the UAE had "been a transparent and inclusive presidency" and led an "inclusive dialogue" over not just the past two weeks, but in the many months leading up to the summit.
"Those that had been criticizing Dr Sultan and the UAE owe them an apology… some did not believe him when he said he would deliver ambitious language on the phase out of fossil fuels, but this presidency did just that," Jorgensen said.
Just the beginning
Jorgensen said he felt that the combined text, with its many references to the science behind climate change and the 1.5°C target, was "actually stronger" than what previous summits had put forward, and represented a very clear step forward.
Simon Watts, New Zealand's minister for climate change, echoed his Danish counterpart, saying that the specific language in the final Cop 28 text showed that the need for a phase down in fossil fuel production and use is "very much the consensus of all countries."
"The reality is that it has taken 27 years to get to a point where it is actually categorically included that we are transitioning away from fossil fuels," Watts told Argus. But he said that he expected to see a strengthening of not just language, but action, over the coming years.
"This is a clear signal we're transitioning away from fossil fuels in the energy sector by 2050. That is the consensus, and that is significant," Watts said. "But the challenge really lies on all of our respective shoulders…to implement the actions required."
