Critics pan draft text at UN climate talks as watered down as COP28 nears its finale in Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Countries moved closer to reaching what critics called a watered-down final deal Monday, avoiding calls from more than 100 nations to phase out planet-warming fossil fuels as United Nations climate talks in Dubai neared their culmination.

A new draft released Monday afternoon on what's known as the global stocktake — the part of talks that assesses where the world is with its climate goals and how it can reach them — called for countries to reduce "consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly and equitable manner."

The release triggered a frenzy of fine-tuning by government envoys and gimlet-eye analysis by advocacy groups, just hours before the planned late morning finish to the talks on Tuesday — even though many observers expect the finale to run over time, as is common at the annual UN talks.

Activists said the text was written by the COP28 presidency, run by an Emirati oil company CEO, and pounced on its perceived shortcomings. It called for "phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption" but fell short of a widespread push to phase out fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal altogether.

"The word 'phase-out' has been phased out," said Li Shuo, director of the Asia Society Policy Institute. "We need to phase in the word phase-out. I think there's still a chance for countries to do so."
Added Andreas Sieber, a climate activists with 350.org: "What we have seen now is our fears come true."

The COP presidency, in a statement, countered that the text was a "huge step forward" and was now "in the hands of the parties, who we trust to do what is best for humanity and the planet."

The text "is extremely disappointing, concerning, and nowhere close to the level of ambition people around the world deserve," said Rachel Cleetus, the policy director and a lead economist for the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

The draft noted that some $4.3 trillion needs to be invested annually through 2030 in order to reach ambitions of net-zero emissions of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere by mid-century. It said financing needs for adaptation were but a fraction of current outlays.

Earlier Monday, visibly tired and frustrated top UN officials urged COP28 climate talks to push harder for an end to fossil fuels, warning that time is running out for action that could keep the world at or below the internationally agreed-upon warming threshold.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was "time to go into overdrive, to negotiate in good faith, and rise to the challenge." He said negotiators at the COP28 summit in particular must focus on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and climate justice.

"We can't keep kicking the can down the road," Guterres said. "We are out of road and almost out of time."

Follow The Gleaner on X and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.