2023-12-13 23:00:59
Issue from Thursday, December 14, 2023
Innsbruck (OTS) – An exit from coal, gas and oil has not been sealed, but the age of fossil fuels is coming to an end. At least that’s what the compromise at the climate summit in Dubai conveys. Now it is national governments’ turn.
The UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai was ill-fated from the start. The venue was the United Arab Emirates, which owes its wealth to huge oil reserves, and the president of the summit was, of all people, the head of the state oil company, Sultan Al Jaber. Many saw this as a contradiction, even an affront. Hopes for a strict climate policy course were dwindling. In addition, the oil sheikhs from Saudi Arabia, for example, worked hard for their black gold. In the end, as is often the case, a compromise was reached – and it turns out better than expected.
The global community agreed for the first time to move away from fossil fuels. A “transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems” is agreed upon. The text also states that the world must be CO2 neutral by 2050 in order to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. There is a call for global renewable energy capacities to be tripled by 2030. Specific goals are stated here – this can clearly be seen as a success. Overall, the final document is a clear signal of the direction in which things need to go. In addition, almost 200 countries were able to agree on a compromise despite major differences. That alone is a huge success.
And such a compromise also has gaps. The text does not specify the phase-out of coal, gas and oil. More than 100 countries – including the EU, USA and China – had called for stricter requirements. Countries that do good business with it had resisted this. But not just these, but also those who cannot easily manage an ecological transformation financially. There is no doubt that the Global South, which is already massively feeling the effects of man-made climate change, must be supported in the transformation. The paper also contains loopholes such as references to natural gas as a transition technology (keyword: CO2 storage) and nuclear power.
The outcome of COP28 may be cautiously optimistic. However, one must be clear that this document does not oblige the states to do anything. That’s why it’s even more important that those countries that would like a stricter compromise move forward. In Austria, for example, the climate protection law is long overdue. The old one expired at the end of 2020, and there has been a struggle for a new edition ever since. The government must provide clarity here. Otherwise the summit paper is worth nothing.
Questions & Contact:
Tiroler Tageszeitung
0512 5354 5101
editor-in-chief@tt.com
1702513684
#TIROLER #TAGESZEITUNG #editorial #climate #compromise #gaps #Serdar #Sahin
