Global – Ecojesuit reflecting on challenges and hopes post-COP28 and beyond
COP28 concluded with unsatisfactory gains with government Party delegates and participants returning to their home countries to grapple with the outcomes of COP28 amid exacerbating climate vulnerabilities. While the conference ended with much left to be desired, there were several moments of light. In all the statements made in the plenaries and negotiations throughout the entirety of the climate conference, science is no longer being denied. There is an acknowledgement and recognition of the call of climate scientists that phasing out fossil fuels is the only way to keep 1.5 alive.
Sadly, the final agreement fails to reflect this urgency and is full of loopholes such as “transitioning away from fossil fuels,” “transition energy systems”, and “transition fuels”. In the closing plenary, several developing countries alluded to developed countries “blocking” Parties from reaching a full phaseout agreement. UN Secretary-General António Guterres directly spoke about this in his address at the closing plenary. “To those who opposed a clear reference to a phase out of fossil fuels in the COP28 text, I want to say that a fossil fuel phase out is inevitable whether they like it or not. Let’s hope it doesn’t come too late.”
Many developing countries such as the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and Latin American countries spoke out with integrity that the agreement does not respond to climate realities in the Global South. Anne Rasmussen, Samoa lead negotiator and AOSIS chair, emphasized during the closing plenary how COP28 failed in this. “We have come to the conclusion that the course correction we have needed has not been secured. It is not enough to reference the science and then ignore what the science is telling us we should do.”
Global South countries also warned that the use of language such as “transition energy systems” is a form if neo-colonialism. International reviews on COP28 acknowledged the unfinished business, but on the bright side, the elephant in the room – fossil fuels – has finally been named in the agreement. During a press conference at the closing of COP28, John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, also echoed his support for the cries of Global South countries.
Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and Chair of The Elders, an independent group of global leaders working for peace, justice, human rights and a sustainable planet, shared her views on the agreement. “The COP28 agreement, while signaling the need to bring about the end of the fossil fuel era, falls short by failing to commit to a full fossil fuel phase out. Climate action must not cease because the gavel has come down on COP28. Every day of delay condemns millions to an uninhabitable world.” Former US Vice President and climate activist Al Gore in his statement emphasized the limitations of the final agreement.
The climate crisis will only get worse and will further compromise food security.This is another failure of COP28 despite the Presidency’s supposed focus on food systems. While the Emirates Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems,and Climate Action was a significant advancement, yet again the failure has been in not getting implementation mechanisms on the ground made clear. Moreover, negotiations to finalize the procedures of the Sharm El Sheikh Joint Work on implementation of climate action on agricultureand food security (SSJW) been stalled until the Bonn Climate Change Conference in June 2024. Industrial agriculture was not put in the spotlight while the presence of 340 lobbyists for the industry were found in the different negotiations.
In the final stretch of COP28, it was also decided that COP29 will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan which is another oil-rich nation. Concerns were raised over this decision given Azerbaijan’s poor track record on human rights and civil liberties.
Source: Ecojesuit.com
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