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DUBAI–As negotiations at COP28 approach the end of the first week, the momentum is growing for a strong outcome calling for the end to the world’s thirst for fossil fuels. In his summary of the High-Level Segment of the World Climate Action Summit, COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber made it clear that world leaders expect this COP to finally deliver on the need for sharp reductions in the extraction, production, and burning of oil, gas, and coal without delay. World leaders called for “the phase down of fossil fuels in support of a transition consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C,” he wrote. With this clear directive coming from the highest political levels, the president and negotiators have the imperative to ensure the COP28 outcomes include a call for a phaseout or phasedown of fossil fuels in the negotiated texts, particularly the Global Stocktake, as well as the Mitigation Work Program and Just Transition Work Program. Importantly, leaders also recognized the need to accelerate the mobilization of finance to meet the critical need in developing countries where finance and technology are prerequisites for a just energy transition that responds to increased energy demand. The science makes clear there is no room for new expansion of fossil fuels that avoids global warming of 1.5°C, with little to no overshoot, from pre-industrial levels. The IPCC and IEA agree that even existing fossil fuels will produce greenhouse gas emissions that will push the world well beyond the temperature targets set to preserve a climate safe future December 5th COP28 is Energy Day – or, as we have termed it, Fossil Fuel Phaseout Day. Scientists, advocates and others are planning a number of events, activities, and reports that underline the need to move towards a full, fast, fair and funded phaseout of all fossil fuels, free of dangerous distractions like CCS, that the oil industry is using to delay the transition and threaten to overshoot 1.5 degrees. Developed countries in the Global North must move now; and finance and technical support must equitably flow to the Global South to ensure their just transition to renewable energy in the coming decades. , Actions 8:30 GST – Rapid, Just and Equitable Transition to RE Systems Location: Action Zone 9 (near B1, after the badge scanning) 9:00 GST – Don’t Gas the South Action (Don’t Gas Africa and Dont Gas Asia) Location: Action Zone 9 (near B1, after the badge scanning) 9:30 GST – Kick Big Polluters Out day of action Location: Action Zone 9 (walkway towards flags) 11:00 GST – 100% Renewables in Africa Now! Action Location: Action Zone 6 (walkway towards flags) 11:00 GST – Stop Fossil Fuel Financing Action Location: Action Zone 2 (inside Zone B1) 11:30 GST – Climate Crime Scene Location: Action Zone 6 (walkway towards flags) 13:00 GST – Daily Dugong Location: DEC building, in B1, Action location 1 16:00 GST – Joint Action: COP28 #EndFossilFuels campaign Location: Action Zone 6 (walkway towards flags) Reports & Press conferences Send a request if you would like to see an embargoed copy of any of these reports.
AVAILABLE NOW: Assessing the relative costs of high-CCS and low-CCS pathways to 1.5 degrees From Oxford University’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment: Heavy dependence on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) to reach net zero targets would be “hugely economically damaging”, costing at least $30 trillion more than a route based on renewable energy, energy efficiency and electrification, a new report from Oxford University’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment has found. Read the report here. 9:00 GST – In-depth review of COP participants (Embargo lifts) The number of fossil fuel lobbyists attending climate summits has steadily risen in recent years, with COP28 promising to represent an apex. Join members of the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition as they prepare for anticipated findings from a forthcoming in-depth review of COP28’s participant list. They’ll also discuss the impacts of this influence in their home countries and the needed policy interventions to address ongoing corporate capture of climate policy spaces like COP. Click here to watch a replay of today’s press event. Press contact: Rachel Rose Jackson, media@corporateaccountability. 9:30 GST – Report launch: Equitable Phaseout of Fossil Fuel Extraction: Towards a reference framework for a fair and rapid global phaseout This report proposes a framework for equitably phasing out fossil fuel extraction, including country-by-country phaseout timelines and international support requirements. These are key because such a phaseout is just not going to happen, in time, unless it is very widely accepted as fair. Launch event: Location: Climate Justice and Civil Society Hub, Zone B7, Room 88 (top floor) Speakers will be Bert De Wel, Climate Policy Officer, International Trade Union Confederation; Greg Muttitt, Senior Associate, International Institute for Sustainable Development; Lidy Nacpil, Coordinator, Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development; Dr. Sivan Kartha, – Senior Scientist, Stockholm Environment Institute; Tom Athanasiou, Co-director, Climate Equity Reference Project; Anabella Rosemberg, Senior Advisor on Just Transition, CAN-International (moderator) 11:30 GST – Report launch: Today’s emissions, tomorrow’s deaths: How Europe’s major oil and gas companies are putting lives at risk’ (Embargo lifts 6:00 GST) reveals that the 2022 emissions alone of nine European oil and gas majors could cause at least 360,000 temperature-related premature deaths before the end of the century. Panelists: Climate justice activist Vanessa Nakate and Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Lisa Göldner. 12:00 GST – Side Event: Strategies for just, equitable, dignified & economically viable exploitation of Transition Minerals and Green Hydrogen in Central Africa Location: Central Africa Initiatives Pavilion Hosts: Climate Action Network International (CAN International), CAN Africa & ACCESS Coalition 15:30 GST – Report launch: ADNOC’s partners in climate chaos: Banks and fossil fuel majors A new report on the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) highlights its outsized oil & gas expansion and the international financiers and oil majors who actively support it. You can download the full report here. According to the joint publication by BankTrack, LINGO, Reclaim Finance, and Urgewald, ADNOC has the fifth-largest oil & gas expansion plans globally, worth 9 bboe. More than 92% of these plans are incompatible with the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero Emissions scenario (2). The resulting projects would lead to the highest absolute oil & gas supply overshoot of any company in the world (3), as Urgewald’s Global Oil & Gas Exit List data demonstrates. Launch event: Location: Press Conference Room 2, Zone B6 – Building 77 Press contacts: Dr. Ognyan Seizov, International Communications Director, Urgewald @COP28 [email protected], + 49 176 2311 2082; Helen Burley, International Media, Reclaim Finance [email protected], +44 7703 731923; Johan Frijns, Executive Director, BankTrack [email protected]; Fatima Eisam Eldeen, Research Analyst, LINGO @COP28 fatima.eisameldeen@leave-it- 17:30 GST – Press Conference: Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance The Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, an international alliance of governments working together to facilitate the managed phase-out of oil and gas production, will outline significant new funding opportunities for Global South governments that are exploring alternative development pathways beyond oil and gas; announce new members of the Alliance as momentum builds behind calls for the phase-out of all fossil fuels and a just transition away from oil and gas: and address the prospects for securing an agreement at COP28 to deliver a just transition away from fossil fuels. Location: Press Conference Room 1, Zone B8 Press contacts: Nick Colwill – nick.colwill@
Quotes Gerry Arances – Executive Director, Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED) Contact: Aryanne De Ocampo, +639295940057, [email protected] As conversations on energy intensify at COP 28, we call out parties that continue to insist on retaining global dependence on fossil fuels. The COP president’s rejection of the urgency of a fossil fuel phaseout is also a grave disappointment. There are regions and nations like Southeast Asia that can already be at the cusp of a renewable energy transition, but massive promotion of gas undermines this. As COP 28 rolls on, Southeast Asian and developing nation governments can serve the best interests of their people by demanding for the end of financing for fossil fuels and a swift and just transition to 100% renewable energy. Developed nations, meanwhile, have no business driving the world to climate chaos with gas, and must focus on delivering their responsibilities to unlock a global renewable energy shift. Lili Fuhr – Fossil Economy Director, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) Press contact: Niccolo Sarno, + 41 22 506 80 37 (Whatsapp / Signal) [email protected] Any further investment in fossil fuels is a direct investment in loss and damage. The science is clear, real solutions to the climate crisis exist and are available at scale. Relying on speculative carbon capture technologies would set us onto a clear path to overshooting the 1.5 degree limit, leading to irreversible climate impacts. Instead of delivering a comprehensive energy package and providing clear guidance for enhancing ambition, we are being flooded with empty pledges and false promises. Governments must not be fooled by sophisticated PR tactics and must resist the dangerous distractions promoted by an army of fossil fuels lobbyists trying to turn this climate conference into a festival of false solutions. Additional spokesperson: Nikki Reisch – Climate and Energy Director at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL). Caroline Brouillette – Executive Director, Climate Action Network Canada At COP28, we are witnessing a great paradox. On one hand, it’s a COP where the fossil fuel industry’s nefarious influence and capture of the process is more visible than ever. On the other, we have never before been so close to reaching global agreement on the need to leave fossil fuels behind. This paradox could well be a historic turning point. Caroline Brouillette, Directrice générale, Réseau action climat Canada La COP28 est un grand paradoxe. C’est à la fois une COP où l’influence néfaste et la capture du processus par l’industrie fossile est plus visible que jamais, et une COP où on n’a jamais été si près d’une entente mondiale sur la nécessité d’une sortie des énergies fossiles. Ce paradoxe, ça pourrait très bien être un point d’inflexion historique. Renata Padilha – young climate activist and the coordinator, Eco Pelo Clima, a youth climate organization based in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Countries need to act urgently for a fair energy transition around the world, as the agreements signed here directly impact our territories. In my state, extreme rains have killed more than 100 people in recent months. Preventing so much loss and pain is an obligation of the governments gathered at this COP. Camila Mercure – Asistente de Política Climática, FARN Argentina Contact: Belén Felix, +5491134214728 (WP and Signal) / [email protected] The energy sector is the one that most contributes to climate change and is mainly based on fossil fuels, especially in countries across the Global South. Countries in Latin America continue to expand and intensify their fossil fuels frontier, mostly through exploration and exploitation of unconventional deposits which use extreme and harmful techniques such as fracking and offshore, and generate severe environmental consequences, alongside social and geopolitical tension. This expansion responds mainly to the need to repay debt to international organisatiosms. In countries like Argentina, fossil fuels along with agriculture and livestock, and minerals, represent 81% of the country’s exports. The pressure the country experiences to improve their trade balance pushes them to continue expanding the hydrocarbon frontier and towards a reprimarization of its economy. People living in affected territories rarely see their share but suffer from the impacts of extractivism. Failing to phase out fossil fuels keeps countries in Latin America tied to an extractivist model which limits the possibility of financing and fomenting renewables and does not question the production and consumption paradigm that brought us to the severe climate crisis we are facing. It also reproduces and intensifies inequalities and social and environmental impacts, transfers the load and costs of mitigation of climate change to countries that have least contributed to the crises and to future generations, and undermines their capacity to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Fossil fuels are a blocker to the just and equitable socioecological transition the region needs. Additional spokesperson: María Laura Castillo – Coordinadora Programa Altoandinos, FARN Argentina Michael Poland – Campaign Director, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative Contact: Nathália Clark, Treatynathalia@ Every COP has an Energy Day – but this one feels different. Never before has so much pressure built behind the call for a fast, fair and funded phase out of fossil fuels. From the streets to the negotiation halls we have seen this demand grow and grow over recent years, months and days and we hope governments will finally act and commit to a plan to keep coal, oil and gas in the ground. Shiva Gounden – Head of Pacific, Greenpeace Australia Pacific Contact: Martin Zavan +61 424 295 422 [email protected] The first days of COP28 demonstrate some recognition of the urgency required to dramatically overhaul the global energy system. The new pledges on renewable energy and phasing out coal are positive developments but the current pledges fall short of a rapid and equitable fossil fuel phase out for all. It’s time for world leaders to ramp up their efforts, prioritise a swift transition to renewables coupled with a fossil fuel exit, and hold coal, oil and gas companies accountable for the devastation they’ve caused. Greenpeace’s Carbon Death Toll report reveals that just nine European oil and gas companies’ 2022 emissions will cause 360,000 premature deaths caused by excess heat. The impacts are deeply felt in our communities, altering our cultures, encroaching upon our homes, and challenging our very survival. The time for bold action is now. Our future depends on it. Ina-Maria Shikongo – Climate activist, Namibia Contact: Lerato Palesa Ngakane, +27 81 464 9726 Phasing out is not just about the science and global emissions but about human rights. Millions of peoples are currently being displaced because of climate change globally without discrimination. From the UK to South Africa. From the USA to Bangladesh. If we don’t push for phase out now, it will be a condemnation of humanity so a few can benefit. Human rights should be at the center of phasing out of fossil fuels. Preserve life, restore the planet. Antonio Hill – advisor, Natural Resource Governance Institute Contact: Gabriela Flores +447931924934, [email protected] World leaders have given COP28 negotiators a clear trajectory to follow on fossil fuels phaseout, and national oil companies – producers of more than half of the oil and gas the world consumes – need to take note. It’s encouraging that leaders also highlighted the importance of finance and technology, which is essential for national oil companies in economies that are highly dependent on oil revenues and jobs. These are indeed the ‘prerequisites for a just transition’ leaders described and, without them, a fair and fast phaseout will remain out of reach for the world as a whole. Drue Slatter – Pacific Climate Warrior Contact: Kim Bryan +44 7770 881503 [email protected] The tide is turning with resounding strength. At last year’s climate talks, 80 countries demanded a fossil fuel phase out. We Pacific islanders have been championing the phase out of fossil fuels since the UN climate talks began. As stewards of Earth, we stand at a critical crossroads where the very fabric of our existence is woven into the decisions made at this conference. Phasing out fossil fuels is not just a scientific imperative; it’s a solid commitment to rewrite our collective stories. The chapters being written now need to tell a new story, one in which the world came together, and as custodians of this Earth, created a legacy that phases out fossil fuels and powers up renewables, one that future generations will behold with gratitude. Dean Bhebhe, PowerShift Africa Contact: Kahongeh James, +254 704 671573 The irrefutable science of climate of the emergency demands immediate action, a decisive fossil fuel phase-out is not just inevitable, it’s essential. Climate change denial is like yelling ‘fake news!’ at a melting glacier. Wake up, the planet’s heating up! COP28 represents a pivotal moment in history, where the choice is stark – to protect billions from the ravages of climate change or to perpetuate a legacy of destruction. It’s time to reject any loopholes allowing the fossil fuel industry to expand thus worsening the crisis. Romain Ioualalen, Global Policy lead, Oil Change International, said: Contact: Al Johnson-Kurts, [email protected], This is the fossil fuel COP where our future will be decided. The success of this year’s climate talks depends on countries agreeing to immediately stop new fossil fuel expansion, and build a just and equitable phase out of all fossil fuels, enabled by rich countries redirecting trillions in fossil industry handouts to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency. Increasingly devastating climate impacts cause the loss of lives, land, and livelihoods around the world. We cannot afford any more delays caused by fossil fuel companies and their government enablers. To secure a livable future, we need an agreement to a fast, full, fair, and funded phase out of fossil fuels, with Global North countries moving first and fastest to phase out their production, and directing finance in grants – not loans – to support the just energy transition in the Global South. Dongjae Oh – Head of Oil and Gas Team, Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC) Contact: Eunji Kim (in Dubai) Whatsapp/signal is: +82 10-5135-7177; Jinny Kim (in GMT+9) Whatsapp/signal: +82-10-9393-3498 Japan and South Korea are on the wrong side of history. Their continued investment in fossil fuels and efforts to promote dangerous distractions are actively expanding fossil fuels amid the climate crisis. Political leaders of both countries parrot the greenwashing lies of the fossil fuel industry. Japan and South Korea must redirect their fossil fuel finance to renewable energy to catapult Asia’s green transition forward. Zaki Mamdoo – Campaigner, Stop EACOP Press Contact: Kim Bryan +44 7770 881503 [email protected] African countries have reinforced their commitment to the Paris Agreement and to the phase-out of fossil fuels, this is something to celebrate. It is vital that African leaders rise to the occasion of COP28 and make firm commitments to significantly upscale renewable energy developments while resisting and withdrawing any support for exploitative and destructive projects like the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). This is an imperative that will define the fate of all our people and, if done in a manner that is just and equitable, would serve to address our interlocking crises of hunger, joblessness, poverty and exclusion. At this UN climate summit we are calling on African leaders to embrace the interests and will of the people and in doing so, we expect them to push for the redirection of financing to renewable energy and to throw their weight behind fighting for our futures. Krishna Ariola – Youth for Climate Hope, Philippines Contact: Aryanne De Ocampo, +639295940057, [email protected] Current loss and damage pledges are far out-scaled by the billions spent by developed nations in endangering countries like ours in the Philippines with fossil fuel obsession. Japan is an example of such – in the Philippines, Japan is using public funds to help destroy our own Amazon of the oceans, Verde Island Passage, with LNG. Japan’s push for false solutions also risks tying us to decades more of fossil fuels, even when a 100% transition to renewables can already be underway. Japan and other historically polluting nations owe it to vulnerable nations to deliver climate leadership, but they choose instead to rob the hope for a livable future from generations to come. Catherine Abreu – Founder & Executive Director, Destination Zero Contact: catherine@destinationzero. COP28 delivering a global agreement to phase out fossil fuels and rapidly scale up renewable energy and energy efficiency is not just the key measure of success for this set of UN climate talks, it is a determining factor for the credibility and relevance of this whole process. We either leave Dubai with global climate negotiations having finally acknowledged the cause of the climate crisis, or we leave here with the demand for a just energy transition coming from over a hundred countries and every corner of civil society being ignored by a COP with the highest number of fossil fuel lobbyists ever in attendance. COP28 can make history, or else it risks being condemned by history. |
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