COP 28: Progress in recognising the need to transition away from Fossil Fuels
Introduction
The Conference of Parties — the global jamboree of states looking to reduce the worst effects of climate change and collectively adapt — are meeting in the United Arab Emirates. Carbon emissions have risen dramatically and the global economies are not set to meet their emission targets set to keep global temperatures from rising below 1.5%. The 198 parties of the Un framework Convention on Climate Change agreed on a text to transition away from fossil fuels.
On the one hand, this sends a strong message to the naysayers who thought the UAE was not credible enough to host a global climate jamboree — the largest of its kind. The statement reiterates a common objective and thinking regarding climate change. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a major exporter of crude oil and natural gas. According to the IEA, the UAE is among the top five largest exporters of crude oil and the black stuff contributes 90% of government revenues.
Fossil fuel combustion and industrial purposes in the United Arab Emirates generated 218.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (MtCO₂) emissions in 2022 versus 11.4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2022 from China , making it by far the world’s largest polluter that year. Meanwhile the United States is the…
