Press at COP28 | The president calls for “shifting into higher gear”

(Dubai, United Arab Emirates) The representatives of the countries meeting at COP28 must “shift into higher gear” and reach an agreement that includes the thorny issue of fossil fuels, the president of the conference urged on Friday. four days from the scheduled conclusion of the event.

“A reduction in fossil fuels is essential,” Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber said at an afternoon news conference, accompanied by the eight “co-facilitator” ministers he appointed to advance the negotiations, including the Canadian Steven Guilbeault.

“A decline in fossil fuel consumption is inevitable over time,” said Sultan al-Jaber, calling on states to agree on a text based on science and aligned with the objective of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Such a speech sends a clear signal to country representatives present at the huge Expo 2020 conference site in southern Dubai, says Romain Ioualalen, head of international policy at the non-governmental organization Oil Change International.

“What was very, very clear with this press conference is that the subject of the exit from fossil fuels is really the central subject of the second week of the COP,” he said.

A possible agreement on the abandonment of fossil fuels must imperatively take into account the urgency of implementing it, insists Mr. Ioualalen.

“The agreement must state very clearly that the consumption and production of fossil fuels must start to decline now, otherwise we will not be able to limit global warming. [de la Terre] at 1.5°C,” he says.

An “opportunity” rather than a problem

A “paradigm change” is necessary for the fight against global warming to be a success, reiterated Sultan al-Jaber, who has a reputation for drawing inspiration from the business community from which he comes to lead climate negotiations. .

“We can no longer see climate change only as a problem; we must make this an opportunity,” he said.

The climate crisis imposes an energy transition that can be seen as the new industrial revolution or an economic development program creating new jobs, new industries and new income, Sultan al-Jaber suggested.

However, it is imperative to help developing countries achieve their energy transition and to give them more time to do so, he warned, recalling his attachment to “a just, equitable, responsible and orderly transition”.

“The tone is set” with these declarations, also believes Leïla Cantave, of the Climate Action Network Canada, warning however that the challenge “lies in translating this intention into tangible results”.

“The environment does not react to declarations, but to actions,” underlined Espen Barth Eide, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, during the press conference.

“Crucial” role

The eight ministers acting as co-facilitators will play a “crucial role” in the next 48 hours, underlined Sultan al-Jaber, who entrusted them with the mission of “bridging the gaps” which still separate the parties, as the conflicts begin. negotiations at ministerial level.

These ministers, five women and three men representing all continents, are grouped into pairs each having responsibility for a particular issue: the follow-up to be given to the results of the Paris Agreement, the mitigation of emissions, adaptation to the effects of climate change and the financing of these measures.

Four of these ministers played a similar role on the same date last year in Montreal, during the 15^e United Nations Conference on Biological Diversity (COP15), underlined Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada.

“There is a desire to signal to countries that the presidency has understood what the major issues of the COP are,” analyzes Romain Ioualalen, who also sees it as a way for Sultan al-Jaber to show that he controls the negotiations.