COP28 opens with plea to work together on fossil fuels
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[November 30, 2023]
By Kate Abnett, Maha El Dahan and Valerie Volcovici
DUBAI (Reuters) -The incoming COP28 president, Sultan al-Jaber, opened
this year's U.N. climate summit on Thursday by urging countries and
fossil fuel companies to work together to meet global climate goals.
Governments are preparing for marathon negotiations on whether to agree,
for the first time, to phase out the world's use of CO2-emitting coal,
oil and gas, the main source of warming emissions.
Jaber, who is also the CEO of the United Arab Emirates' national oil
company ADNOC, aimed to strike a conciliatory tone following months of
criticism over his appointment at the head of COP28.
In his opening remarks, Jaber acknowledged that there were "strong views
about the idea of including language on fossil fuels and renewables in
the negotiated text. ... I ask you to work together."
"It is essential that no issue is left off the table. And yes, as I have
been saying we must look for ways and ensure the inclusion of the role
of fossil fuels."
He touted his country's decision to "proactively engage" with fossil
fuel companies, and noted that many national oil companies had adopted
net-zero targets for 2050.
"I am grateful that they have stepped up to join this game-changing
journey," Jaber said. "But, I must say, it is not enough, and I know
that they can do much more."
DISASTER FUND
As the U.N. climate conference kicked off, delegates were hoping to
clinch an early victory on a disaster fund. The COP28 presidency
published a proposal late Wednesday for countries to formally adopt the
outlines of a new U.N. fund for poor countries being hit by climate
disasters like extreme flooding or persistent drought.
An early breakthrough on the damage fund - which poorer nations have
demanded for years - could help grease the wheels for other compromises
to be made during the two-week summit.
Some diplomats said they hoped the draft deal for the fund would be
approved quickly, with one delegate describing the possibility of
objections at this point as "opening Pandora's box". The deal was
crafted over many months of tough negotiations involving wealthy and
developing countries.
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A man in traditional Emirati clothes attends the first day of U.N.'s
COP28 climate summit, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 30,
2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
Establishing the fund allows rich countries to begin pledging money
for it, and nations including Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands
are expected to announce contributions over the next few days,
European diplomats told Reuters.
The European Union has pledged a "substantial" contribution, but
wants countries whose economies have boomed in recent decades, like
China and the UAE, to follow suit.
"Everyone with the ability to pay should contribute," said EU
Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, who said he wanted to "broaden
the donor base beyond the usual suspects, simply because that
reflects the reality of 2023."
Adnan Amin, CEO of the COP28 summit, told Reuters this month the aim
was to secure several hundred million U.S. dollars for the climate
disaster fund during the event. He said he was "hopeful" that the
UAE would make a contribution.
"We cannot rest until this fund is adequately financed and starts to
actually alleviate the burden of vulnerable communities," said
Samoa's Ambassador to Europe, Pa’olelei Luteru, who is also the
chairman of the Association of Small Island States (AOSIS)
negotiating bloc.
Another major task at the summit will be for countries to assess
their progress in meeting global climate goals - chiefly the Paris
Agreement goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees
Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
This process, known as the global stocktake, should yield a
high-level plan telling countries what they need to do.
(Reporting by Kate Abnett, Valerie Volcovici and Maha El Dahan;
Writing by Katy Daigle; Editing by Matthew Lewis, Miral Fahmy and
Christina Fincher)
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