The new draft agreement deletes the phrase "phasing out fossil fuels", which has caused dissatisfaction among many parties

The pictures in this article are all from The Paper reporter Huang Zhihan

On the evening of December 11, local time, the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), which is being held in Dubai, released the long-awaited draft of the new agreement.

COP28 President Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said in a statement that the draft was "a big step forward". The latest version of the draft does have significant changes from the previous version, with one of the biggest changes being the deletion of the phrase "phase-out" of fossil fuels and its replacement by recommending that countries reduce fossil fuel consumption and production in a "just, orderly and equitable manner". Many parties, including the European Union and the Group of Small Island States, have expressed their disappointment and dissatisfaction with the draft.

The new draft mentions a triple of global renewable energy capacity by 2030, a doubling of energy efficiency, and a rapid phase-out and restriction of new coal power generation that is not captured with carbon capture. Accelerate global efforts to achieve a net-zero energy system using zero-carbon and low-carbon fuels by or around mid-century. By 2030, accelerate and significantly reduce global non-CO2 emissions, in particular methane emissions, through a range of pathways, including the development of infrastructure and the rapid deployment of zero- and low-emission vehicles, and the phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies as soon as possible.

Many government representatives and climate activists have criticized the draft.

Wopke Hoekstra, the European Union's climate action commissioner, told reporters outside the venue. "I can't hide that the current text is disappointing and, overall, not enough. Scientists are well aware of the need to phase out fossil fuels. ”

Cedric Schuster, the president of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and Samoa's Minister of Environment, issued a statement: "We will not sign a 'death certificate', we cannot sign a text that does not have a strong commitment to phasing out fossil fuels. Colombia's Minister of Climate and Environment also made it clear on social platforms: "We need to phase out fossil energy in the text." ”

Chad Horton, a spokesman for John Kerry, the US special envoy for climate change, said in a statement that the US believes the language on fossil fuels should be "significantly strengthened."

The Union of Concerned Scientists said the draft text was "extremely disappointing and worrying, and far from the level of ambition expected by people around the world".

Fernanda Carvalho, head of global climate and energy policy at WWF, said: "It is disappointing that this disastrous new draft lacks ambition compared to the previous version. It offers a range of energy options, but it is not about phasing out fossil fuels. Most of them recommend the continued use of coal, oil and gas, or nuclear energy and carbon capture and storage as solutions. If this text is not significantly strengthened overnight, we will face very weak prospects for a COP28 outcome, with no end in sight to the escalating climate crisis. ”

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore said directly on social platforms. "COP28 is now on the verge of complete failure. "The world desperately needs to phase out fossil fuels as soon as possible, but this flattering draft reads as if it were prescribed verbatim by OPEC. ”

Bob Ward, director of policy and communications at the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science, believes that "it is vital now that this text is not watered down in the coming hours and that it is strengthened in key areas." ”

Although the draft is not final, the Chair will be consulting closely with the heads of delegations tonight and changes are still possible. The conference was originally scheduled to close on the 12th, but judging by the current level of disagreement, it is very likely that the conference will go into "extra time". There are still many uncertainties about how the resolution document will be adopted by the General Assembly in the next 24 hours and beyond.