COP28 | The agreement dissected | The Press

Some have called it a historic deal, while others say too little is being done. The agreement reached at COP28 leaves no one indifferent. Here are the main points of this 21-page text.

We talk about fossil fuels

This is the main victory of this COP28. For the first time in 28 years, “fossil fuels” are clearly mentioned in a final text of just over 11,000 words adopted by representatives of 195 countries. We have already referred to it in the past, but it was more with a view to putting an end to “inefficient” subsidies for fossil fuels. “Transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a fair, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action during this critical decade, to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, in line with science,” is proposed in the new agreement.

Triple the capacity of renewable energies

“The adopted text constitutes a small but positive step forward on the difficult path forward to prevent much of the climate disruption that can still be avoided,” wrote Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, former vice-president of the IPCC, on the X network, Wednesday. Other good news is that the agreement proposes to “triple renewable energy capacity” and double the annual rate of improvement in energy efficiency by 2030. Note that in recent years, the falling costs of green technologies have enabled their deployment on a larger scale.

Get out of the coal, but…

“Accelerate efforts to phase out coal-fired power without mitigation measures. » The agreement expressly refers to coal, but without setting a timetable while allowing the use of this fuel if CO emissions capture and storage technologies are used.₂. However, these relatively new devices have not yet been proven on a large scale and are extremely expensive. The text also provides for the phasing out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies as quickly as possible, but does not include those deemed necessary in poorer countries.

“Dramatically” reduce methane emissions

“Accelerate and significantly reduce non-carbon dioxide emissions globally, including methane emissions by 2030,” it says. Methane, remember, is a greenhouse gas whose warming potential is at least 25 times greater than that of CO₂ over a period of 100 years. It is responsible for around 30% of global warming. If the agreement insists on the rapid reduction of methane emissions, it is because this would allow an equally rapid reduction in the concentration of this gas in the atmosphere.

Yes to natural gas

The text ” [r]recognizes that transition fuels can play a role in facilitating the energy transition while ensuring energy security. This addition refers to natural gas, which is less polluting than coal, for example. In the context of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, several countries are also struggling with supply problems. Natural gas has long been presented as a transitional energy source, an option increasingly criticized however, given the little progress made in reducing emissions from fossil fuels in general.