Climate talks enter last day with no agreement in sight on fossil fuels

 

By Jon Gambrell, Jamey Keaten, Sibi Arasu And Seth Borenstein The Associated Press

Monday, December 11, 2023

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Hopes for finishing a critical climate summit on time were fading early Tuesday as countries were still far apart on key issues, including an agreement on what to do about the fossil fuels that are causing dangerous global warming.

The United Nations-led summit known as COP28 was scheduled to end around midday after nearly two weeks of speeches, demonstrations and negotiations. But the climate talks often run long, and Monday's release of a draft agreement angered countries that insist on a commitment for rapid phase-out of coal, oil and gas.

Instead, the draft called for countries to reduce “consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly and equitable manner.”

Tina Stege, climate envoy for the Marshall Islands, ridiculed the document as “a meaningless wish list” that “questions the science" and said it doesn’t address the Paris agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) to stave off the worst effects of climate change. Earth is on its way to smashing the record for hottest year, endangering human health and leading to ever more costly and deadly extreme weather.

“There is no justice in a result from this COP that condemns my country's future,” said Stege, whose country is one of the many island nations most at risk from rising seas.

Europeans also pushed for a stronger document.

"It is difficult to come to a result here by midday (Tuesday)," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said. "This is not a problem for the European delegation. We have time and we are prepared to stay a little longer.“

Bangladesh climate envoy Saber Chowdhury said a revised text would be presented Tuesday morning that takes into account the comments from the many participants .

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/climate-talks-enter-last-day-with-no-agreement-in-sight-on-fossil-fuels/article_7d2e925b-f811-5f7a-965a-4a73716e6fc8.html