DUBAI: China said on Saturday it saw progress in reaching a climate deal at a key United Nations summit in Dubai, despite a last-minute push by the OPEC oil cartel to resist a phase-out of fossil fuels.
OPEC drew outrage from green-minded countries and activists when it joined Saudi Arabia and called on members to block an emerging declaration that would seek to wind down extraction of the oil, coal and gas which are fuelling the climate emergency.
But China, the world’s largest oil importer, played down the row and said it was working to find a solution that was “acceptable to all parties”.
“I think we’ve already had some progress on this issue and I believe we will have more progress in resolving this very soon in the coming few days,” China’s climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua told reporters at the COP28 climate conference.
“Because if we do not, if we do not resolve this issue, I don’t see much chance in having a successful COP28,” he said.
Canadian climate minister Steven Guilbeault told AFP he was “confident” that the final text would contain language on fossil fuels, which emit planet-heating greenhouse gases.
Guilbeault is among a group of ministers who have been tasked by COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber — who is CEO of the UAE state oil giant ADNOC — to shepherd the negotiations and find an agreement, which must have consensus from all nations, before the summit ends Tuesday.
‘No single solution’
OPEC Secretary-General Haitham Al Ghais in a letter made public Friday urged the cartel’s 13 members and 10 allies to “proactively reject” any language that “targets” fossil fuels rather than emissions.
In a speech read in his name to the summit, Al Ghais said there was “no single solution” for sustainable energy.
“We need realistic approaches to tackle emissions, ones that enable economic growth, help eradicate poverty and increase resilience at the same time,” the speech said.
Teresa Ribera, the ecology transition minister of current European Union president Spain, said it was “quite a disgusting thing” for OPEC countries to be “pushing against getting the bar where it has to be”.
French Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said the OPEC statement left her “stunned” and “angry”.
Dramatically scaling up the deployment of renewable energy while winding down the production and consumption of fossil fuels is crucial to achieve the global goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
“1.5 is not negotiable, and that means an end to fossil fuels,” said Tina Stege, climate envoy for the Marshall Islands, which like many low-lying island nations fears for survival as climate change sends water levels rising.
Despite restrictions in Dubai on unauthorised protests, around seven activists held a sit in at OPEC’s booth at COP28, with “phase-out” written on their palms, according to video footage shared by the NGO 350.org.
Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of opposition to cutting fossil fuels and Iraq, another OPEC member, voiced support for the cartel letter.
A negotiator from a country in favour of a fossil fuel exit said the Arab group of nations was the only one to take a strong position against a phase-out.
Still time to negotiate
A third draft of a deal released on Friday offers various ways to phase out fossil fuels but it also includes the option to not mention the issue at all in the final text.
A person working for the summit president’s office played down the objections by Saudi Arabia, saying it was normal for nations to push hard at the end.
“I don’t feel that we’re at that point where one is sticking their head above the parapet and being the troublemaker,” the person said on condition of anonymity.
Colombia, whose left-leaning government has aggressively promoted environmentalism, warned that COP28 was also failing on raising financing for countries to adapt to the effects of climate change.
If the countries are opposed to “goals on adaptation but at the same time oppose the phase out fossil fuel, they need to be held accountable. And that accountability should be seen financially,” Colombian Environment Minister Susana Muhamad said.
Next year’s climate talks are likely to be held in another major producer of fossil fuels as Azerbaijan announced it had secured a consensus to host COP29.
OPEC drew outrage from green-minded countries and activists when it joined Saudi Arabia and called on members to block an emerging declaration that would seek to wind down extraction of the oil, coal and gas which are fuelling the climate emergency.
But China, the world’s largest oil importer, played down the row and said it was working to find a solution that was “acceptable to all parties”.
“I think we’ve already had some progress on this issue and I believe we will have more progress in resolving this very soon in the coming few days,” China’s climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua told reporters at the COP28 climate conference.
“Because if we do not, if we do not resolve this issue, I don’t see much chance in having a successful COP28,” he said.
Canadian climate minister Steven Guilbeault told AFP he was “confident” that the final text would contain language on fossil fuels, which emit planet-heating greenhouse gases.
Guilbeault is among a group of ministers who have been tasked by COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber — who is CEO of the UAE state oil giant ADNOC — to shepherd the negotiations and find an agreement, which must have consensus from all nations, before the summit ends Tuesday.
‘No single solution’
OPEC Secretary-General Haitham Al Ghais in a letter made public Friday urged the cartel’s 13 members and 10 allies to “proactively reject” any language that “targets” fossil fuels rather than emissions.
In a speech read in his name to the summit, Al Ghais said there was “no single solution” for sustainable energy.
“We need realistic approaches to tackle emissions, ones that enable economic growth, help eradicate poverty and increase resilience at the same time,” the speech said.
Teresa Ribera, the ecology transition minister of current European Union president Spain, said it was “quite a disgusting thing” for OPEC countries to be “pushing against getting the bar where it has to be”.
French Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said the OPEC statement left her “stunned” and “angry”.
Dramatically scaling up the deployment of renewable energy while winding down the production and consumption of fossil fuels is crucial to achieve the global goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
“1.5 is not negotiable, and that means an end to fossil fuels,” said Tina Stege, climate envoy for the Marshall Islands, which like many low-lying island nations fears for survival as climate change sends water levels rising.
Despite restrictions in Dubai on unauthorised protests, around seven activists held a sit in at OPEC’s booth at COP28, with “phase-out” written on their palms, according to video footage shared by the NGO 350.org.
Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of opposition to cutting fossil fuels and Iraq, another OPEC member, voiced support for the cartel letter.
A negotiator from a country in favour of a fossil fuel exit said the Arab group of nations was the only one to take a strong position against a phase-out.
Still time to negotiate
A third draft of a deal released on Friday offers various ways to phase out fossil fuels but it also includes the option to not mention the issue at all in the final text.
A person working for the summit president’s office played down the objections by Saudi Arabia, saying it was normal for nations to push hard at the end.
“I don’t feel that we’re at that point where one is sticking their head above the parapet and being the troublemaker,” the person said on condition of anonymity.
Colombia, whose left-leaning government has aggressively promoted environmentalism, warned that COP28 was also failing on raising financing for countries to adapt to the effects of climate change.
If the countries are opposed to “goals on adaptation but at the same time oppose the phase out fossil fuel, they need to be held accountable. And that accountability should be seen financially,” Colombian Environment Minister Susana Muhamad said.
Next year’s climate talks are likely to be held in another major producer of fossil fuels as Azerbaijan announced it had secured a consensus to host COP29.
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