Cop28 deal falls far short on fossil fuel commitment sought by many
Environment But Historic Eamon Cop28 It Said Minister That 'an Ryan 'not Agreement' Called Is Perfect'
Almost 200 countries have come to an agreement on the need to get away from fossil fuel use in the future following marathon overnight negotiations at the UN's climate change summit in Dubai.
It is the first time in the history of the 28 Cop summits that fossil fuel reduction has been mentioned in the final agreement of 198 countries around the world, but falls far short of the "phasing out" of oil, gas, and coal that environmental groups, scientists, and many countries wanted.
Cop28 in Dubai had threatened to end in failure on Monday when the first draft of the proposed agreement on the next global move to combat climate change was published, with the phrase "phasing out" of fossil fuels conspicuously absent.
Environment Minister Eamon Ryan, who is one of the EU's lead negotiators on the so-called Global Stocktake text, had said the bloc was willing to walk away from the talks if the proposed text was not made stronger in relation to fossil fuels.
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Cop28 had to consider the Global Stocktake, an examination of all the climate plans for countries across the world. It showed that 1.5C is way off trajectory and that a massive ramping up of decarbonisation needs to take place.
Scientists have long argued that the evidence shows that phasing out fossil fuels as well as ramping up clean and renewable energy is necessary if global warming is to be kept to 1.5C.
According to the Paris Agreement of 2015, reached at Cop21, a 1.5C rise in temperatures was set as the limit for the rise globally compared to 1850-1900, in order to stave off the very worst fallout from climate change.
Mr Ryan called Cop28 "an historic agreement" but said that it is "not perfect".
"For the first time in 30 years we have language in the Cop text which points out and calls for change and addresses fossil fuel as the source of climate breakdown," said Mr Ryan.
"Transition away or phase out, the meaning and intent is the same — the key thing is that the message today is strong and united."
The Paris Agreement is stronger today than it was yesterday, he claimed.
"It's a signal to us at home, but also to every single country in the world. We now know where we need to go to, to achieve a new, renewable, efficient, and more just future."
Data from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland released on Wednesday show that nearly 86% of Ireland's energy comes from fossil fuels.
Paul Deane, senior lecturer in clean energy futures at University College Cork, said the agreement at Cop28 points to the urgent need to move away from fossil fuels.
"Ireland is not immune from this responsibility, and as one of the most fossil fuel-dependent countries in Europe, we need to prioritise and accelerate our use of clean indigenous energy such as wind and solar," he said.
Concern has been also expressed across the world that richer countries, who are far more responsible for human-induced climate change through greenhouse gas emissions, were not compelled in the Dubai agreement to pay to help smaller and more vulnerable nations towards the transition away from fossil fuels to cleaner energy.
A coalition of small-island states complained that the gavel came down to signal agreement on the Global Stocktake when they were not yet in the room.