The results from Dubai met with an overwhelmingly positive response. Environmental groups praise the fact that for the first time a UN summit is calling for a move away from fossil fuels. But there are many loopholes – and too little help for poor countries.
The fact that a UN summit is calling for a move away from coal, gas and oil for the first time has been viewed positively by both politicians and environmental and development organizations. At the same time, the deficits of the agreement and the lack of support for the poorer states are criticized on many sides.
For EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the agreement to conclude the climate conference in Dubai marks “the beginning of the post-fossil era”. EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said that for the first time “in 30 years we could now be reaching the beginning of the end of fossil fuels”.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also highlighted progress, but at the same time emphasized that the document does not explicitly mention an exit from coal, oil and gas. It is to be hoped that the exit does not come too late. The era of fossil fuels must end.
US climate representative John Kerry expressed satisfaction and gratitude at the results of the conference. However, his government wanted clearer wording in the final text regarding the phase-out of fossils.
Baerbock relieved – praise and criticism from environmental associations
The federal government expressly supported the decision. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said it was a “huge weight off her mind,” said the German delegation. “The German delegation and the Foreign Minister are very happy that the world has decided to end the fossil fuel age.”
Environmental associations also rate the resolutions of the World Climate Conference as largely positive. After 30 years of climate activism, the UN meeting marks the beginning of the end for the oil, gas and coal industries – “no more, no less,” said the executive board of Greenpeace Germany, Martin Kaiser. However, there are a number of loopholes – and many of the formulations lack ambition.
“The dominance and destructive actions of the oil-exporting countries, the influential oil and gas lobby and the coal-dependent countries became abundantly clear at the World Climate Conference,” complained Kaiser. Further-reaching and binding decisions were prevented.
Although the final text calls on states to turn away from fossil fuels, it is weaker than the clear phase-out of coal, oil and gas discussed previously. Viviane Raddatz, climate chief at WWF Germany, spoke of an “immensely important signal – also against the development of new oil and gas sources.” For the first time, the core problem of the climate crisis will be identified at a UN climate conference. Nevertheless, it should be noted that eight years after the Paris Climate Agreement, the world’s progress is too slow to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.
No progress in supporting poorer countries
Oxfam expert Jan Kowalzig called the conference’s resolutions a good basis, but this now needs to be reflected in concrete policy. The rich countries should act much faster and more comprehensively than the low-income countries – which generally have hardly contributed to the climate crisis. He criticized the fact that the role of natural gas is being emphasized as a transitional solution and that producing countries and the fossil fuel industry would see it as a “free pass for the expansion of gas production.” In addition, COP28 failed to make progress in financial support for poorer countries.
The climate expert from “Bread for the World”, Sabine Minninger, also criticized the fact that industrialized countries and emerging countries with high greenhouse gas emissions had not committed to replenishing the fund to support poor countries in the event of climate-related disasters. The poorest and vulnerable countries therefore lacked “security “to deal with the climate crisis”.
“Big step” – when action follows
Luisa Neubauer from “Fridays for Future” said that the global move away from fossil fuels was a big step given the resistance of the fossil lobby. Nevertheless, the climate conference showed “that the profits of oil companies have to date been protected more successfully than the most affected regions of the world.”
Germanwatch’s political director, Christoph Bals, said the Dubai resolutions could be a historic step, “but only if there is actually a massive shutdown of coal, oil and gas worldwide in the next few years.”