DUBAI: In a major development, the COP28 Presidency released a new text on global stocktake (GST) on Monday evening, which once again singles out coal and goes soft on other fossil fuels — oil and gas — which is likely to be heavily contested by developing countries, especially India.
The thirty-ninth paragraph of the text recognises the need for deep, rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and calls upon all parties to take action. Eight points were listed and the language used is “selective” and “discriminatory”, according to observers from the developing world. It calls for rapidly phasing down unabated coal and limitations on permitting new and unabated coal power generation.
When it comes to other fossil fuels, it seeks Parties to reduce both consumption and production of fossil fuels, “in a just, orderly and equitable manner to achieve net zero by, before, or around 2050 in keeping with the science.”
The text avoided the terms phase out or phase down of fossil fuels, which have been key sources of contention so far. Delegates from the European Union, AILAC (Latin American progressives) AOSIS (Small Islands) will struggle to support the text as it stands given there is no emphasis on action in this critical decade.
Vaibhav Chaturvedi, Fellow, Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEE W), said the updated GST text furthers the differential treatment meted to the developing south and the developed world. Fossil fuels have to be only “reduced” in a just, orderly and equitable manner, while unabated coal has to be “rapidly” phased down and there need to be limitations on new and unabated coal power generation.
“It will be a surprise if this language is not contested heavily by the global south in the final stages of the negotiations process,” Vaibhav said. Harjeet Singh, Head of Global Political Strategy, Climate Action Network International, said the text on fossil fuels represents a significant regression from previous versions.
“Astonishingly, it has dropped explicit language on phasing out fossil fuels, opting instead for a vague commitment to “reduce both consumption and production” by 2050. This is a clear indication of the fossil fuel industry’s lobbying power, influencing global policies to favour prolonged fossil fuel use.”
Sources in the Indian COP28 delegation say for India meeting its energy requirements is paramount. “We will not agree on anything that is against our national interests. On our part, we are doing everything to mitigate emissions and well on our path to fulfill all the targets set in the NDC.”
Fairness in transition
The crux of the stalemate remains how to handle differentiation in the energy transition. “Fairness is key to this energy transition,” Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa said. He added that rich historic polluters go first, then middle income nations, with poorer countries after that. “It’s not fair that Congo and Canada must phase out fossil fuels at the same rate.”