A “disappointment” and “not sufficient”: Germany and the EU have rejected the draft final text of the climate summit. This no longer includes the demand to phase out fossil fuels.
Everyone was waiting for this draft at the World Climate Conference. Summit President Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber actually wanted to present the paper early in the morning. It arrives around twelve hours late. “Dear delegates, we have a text. And we have to agree on the text. The time for discussions is coming to an end. It is now time for decisions,” said Al Jaber.
He speaks of a huge step forward. However, the draft falls far short of what the Europeans in particular are demanding. The global community is committed to gradually phasing out fossil fuels.
Instead, the draft lists a number of options that could lead to reductions in greenhouse gases. Around a tripling of renewable energies by 2030, the use of various technologies such as CO2 capture or nuclear power. Or the possibility of reducing the consumption and production of coal, oil and gas in a fair and orderly manner, as the text says.
Wide disappointment
For the head of Greenpeace Germany, that doesn’t go far enough: “With this proposal, every country from Saudi Arabia to an island state threatened by climate extremes can choose what they want,” said Martin Kaiser. “But it will not lead to the global community agreeing to phase out fossil fuels gradually by the middle of the century.”
Environmental groups from neighboring European countries, North America and Africa are similarly disappointed, appearing in front of the microphones and cameras immediately after the draft became known.
Baerbock: “Not enough”
The reactions from leading European negotiators are hardly long in coming. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock clearly criticized the draft. This means that the global community cannot achieve the necessary 1.5 degree path. “The present proposal from the COP Presidency is a disappointment. Overall, it is not sufficient. Essential elements are not acceptable to us as the European Union.”
According to Baerbock, the draft suggests that fossil energies could continue to play a decisive role in the future. And even coal-fired power generation and the construction of new coal-fired power plants would be acceptable, according to the Green politician. And that would be in contrast to European energy policy.
Europe united against the draft
The initial reaction of EU chief negotiator Wopke Hoekstra and Spanish Environment Minister Teresa Ribera is just as negative. The text is clearly inadequate. The message is clear: Europeans stand together and still see a clear need for discussion. And you should bet that you are not alone in this. In particular, many poorer countries in the global south, which are suffering particularly badly from climate change, are counting on Europeans to campaign for a gradual phase-out of fossil fuels.
At the moment, however, it looks more like the oil-producing OPEC states, especially Saudi Arabia, were able to make themselves heard more at COP28 President Al Jaber than the Europeans and many others had hoped.
But the World Climate Conference is not over yet, even if Al Jaber would like to stay on schedule. That would mean finishing on Tuesday. But EU chief negotiator Hoekstra emphasizes that negotiations will continue for as long as necessary. Foreign Minister Baerbock also says: “We have time.”