Civil society campaigners are at the talks to ensure an agreement was reached on fossil fuels phase-out. PHOTO/UN
By PATRICK MAYOYO
As COP28 talks entered the second week, governments around the world were put under pressure by civil society campaigners to reach an agreement on the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Kaisa Kosonen, Head of the Greenpeace COP28 delegation said civil society campaigners are at the talks to ensure an agreement was reached on fossil fuels phase-out.
“We are here to make fossil fuels history. By now governments know they can’t leave this summit without an agreement to end fossil fuels, in a fast and fair manner. Now the question is what is the package of solutions, support and cooperation that will get us over the finishing line. It’s clear that developed countries are the ones that need to take the lead here,” Kosonen said.
Kosonen added that a fast and fair transition to renewable energy is possible – but it won’t happen fast enough unless the fossil fuel industry was pushed out of the way.
“And when it comes to money, just look at who made record profits last year – it’s the fossil fuel industry! There’s enough money in the world to deal with this crisis, but it has to be redirected from problems to solutions, so that polluters are made to pay,” Kosonen added.
Yuan Ying, China Chief Representative, Greenpeace East Asia said COP28 can’t be called a success if there are no renewable energy targets and a full, fast, fair and funded fossil fuel phase-out.
“After the hottest decade ever, anything less is dropping the ball,” Ying said.
The Greenpeace East Asia official said China is the world’s biggest wind and solar producer. And it has the capacity to respond to climate change on par with wealthy countries, while also sharing many of the same concerns as developing countries.
“This in-between role actually enables China to unlock those entangled negotiations in week two. The China-US Sunnylands statement provides keys for unlocking solutions here, but we still need to see them in action here in Dubai,” Ying noted.
Ghiwa Nakat, Executive Director, Greenpeace MENA, said nobody wins a trophy at half-time, but COP28 certainly got off to a strong and hopeful start.
“The historic consensus to operationalise the new Loss and Damage Fund could be a real lifesaver for frontline communities if the responsibility of developed countries to lead in resourcing the fund is recognised in the final COP decision,” Nakat observed.
The Greenpeace MENA official, however, said such announcements are not enough if humanity has no planet to live on.
“We’ve got to stop fuelling more loss and damage. Everything so far has been just a prelude to what we really want to hear – commitment to a just and equitable phase-out of all fossil fuels by mid-century, coupled with key milestones for this critical decade,” Nakat said.
Dr. Camila Jardim, International Politics Specialist, Greenpeace Brasil said Brazil arrived at COP28 with important advances in the fight against deforestation and with an interesting proposal for a global financing fund for tropical forests, which escapes the harmful logic of the carbon market.
Dr Jardim, however, added the Brazilian government has avoided the most difficult and urgent conversation at COP28 that includes negotiations for a global agreement to eliminate all fossil fuels by 2050, with a significant reduction by 2030.
A fast and fair transition to renewable energy is possible. PHOTO/UN
“The science is clear: the 1.5º C mission launched by Brazilian diplomacy is completely impossible without an end of fossil fuels,” Dr Jardim said.
The Greenpeace Brasil official said Brazil needs to stop hiding behind meaningless justifications as no country in the world has the potential that Brazil has in renewable energy, which is the future of global energy geopolitics.
“We can lead and show the way for other countries, both by demanding financing and technology transfer to developing countries, and by building consensus around the urgency of this agreement and sharing our own experiences and technologies with partners,” Dr Jardim emphasised.
Thandile Chinyavanhu, Climate and Energy campaigner, Greenpeace Africa said Africa is making promising steps away from the out-dated extractive practices of fossil fuel industries which for decades have locked communities in conflict, human suffering, and ecological death.
“We must encourage further development driven by innovation rooted in pan-Africanism. To achieve this future, we need our leaders to push back against further attempts at neo-colonial plundering of resources on the continent at the expense of Africans,” Chinyavanhu said.
Rolf Skar, National Campaigns Director, Greenpeace USA said the US signed on to an agreement on the phase out of fossil fuels at the G7, but at COP28 they were sitting on the side-lines, apparently ‘content to watch the world burn’.
The United States is on track to add more than a third of the world’s carbon pollution from new oil and gas production through 2050.
“They cannot hide behind the smokescreen of a coal phase out while ignoring their biggest problem: massive increases in oil and gas that will plunge our world deeper into climate catastrophe,” Skar said.
The Greenpeace USA official said the international community expects and needs the US to lead by example and there is still time for the country to change course adding no more time at COP28 should be wasted with half-steps and broken promises.
“No one is fooled. Americans bearing the brunt of fossil fuel extraction and export – who are disproportionately people of colour – need policies that stop treating their communities like sacrifice zones for the oil and gas industry,” Skar added.
Hirotaka Koike, Senior Political and External Affairs Officer, Greenpeace East Asia said while the world is experiencing the hottest year on record, Japan has been silent on the issue of fossil fuels.
“As the only country among G7 without a phase out date of coal use, Japan’s silence shows their unwillingness to honour the G7 commitment as a presidency and hide behind other blockers to do the dirty job,” Koike said.
Japan should take a chance to make it clear that they are on the right side of history by championing a fast, fair, and equitable fossil fuels phase out in the negotiating room, the Greenpeace East Asia official noted.
Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific, Greenpeace Australia Pacific said Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) has been a powerful voice for Small Island Developing states to keep 1.5℃ alive.
“They have consistently called on major emitters to address the elephant in the room – fossil fuels. AOSIS has been vocal about the urgent need to phase out all fossil fuels and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, if the world has a fighting chance of nurturing its diversity for our future generations,” Gounden said.
The Greenpeace Australia Pacific official said for their islands, it is a matter of survival and it is not only a technical outcome they are fighting for, but one that is centred on the protection of their lands, oceans and people.
The historic consensus to operationalise the new Loss and Damage Fund could be a real lifesaver for frontline communities. PHOTO/UN
Maarten de Zeeuw, Climate and Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace Netherlands said the EU has its eyes on the ball, to deliver the fossil fuel phase out that’s urgently needed from the summit.
De Zeeuw however, added that EU still needed to get their goals clear and simply stop the growth of fossil fuel use by significantly cutting down on the use oil, coal and gas by 2030.
“To get the energy package over the finishing line here, the EU needs to ensure support will be delivered for those in need, as opportunities today are not equal,” the Greenpeace Netherlands official said.
De Zeeuw called on the EU and other rich countries to show leadership by committing to ending fossil fuel consumption and production fastest and by stepping up to provide financial support for a fair phase-out in poorer countries.
Rebecca Newsom, Head of Politics, Greenpeace UK said the UK’s status as a leader in the global climate talks seriously hangs in the balance at a time wildfires and floods wreak havoc across the world.
The Prime Minister’s message to delegates in Dubai was that the UK has already done enough. While his negotiators continue to work hard behind the scenes, they still need to speak up more strongly for a full, fast, fair and funded fossil fuel phase-out, and to stop objecting to text proposals that would move talks forward on the substance of future climate finance obligations for developing countries,” Newson said.
The Greenpeace UK said there’s still time for the UK to show real leadership in backing an ambitious – and equitable – outcome to end the fossil fuel age and build resilience in response to growing climate impacts.
“The public, business, investors and a growing coalition of countries are all calling for it – now is the time to act,” Newson said.
Pedro Zorrilla Miras, Climate and Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace Spain said in the first week of COP28, the EU has been one of the frontrunner groups for the fossil fuel phase out, the key step needed to keep 1.5ºC alive and avert the worst catastrophic climate change.
“Spain has been a key country pushing for this, as shown by the statements by the Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and by the Vice-president Teresa Ribera,” Miras.
The Greenpeace Spain official, said for the world to achieve this historical step, Spain needs to increase the ambition by saying no to abatement technologies and by showing a clear commitment for providing sufficient finance support for developing countries for a just fossil fuel phase out.
