“We want a total and rapid exit from fossil fuels”

Activists briefly burst into the pavilion of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) at COP28 on Sunday, December 10, to call for an exit from fossil fuels. “We know that OPEC sent a letter to its members asking them to oppose an exit from fossil fuels and we think that is a bad sign”said Nicolas Haeringer of the NGO 350.org, while an event was organized at the OPEC pavilion in Dubai, where the climate conference ends on Tuesday.

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“For us, having an OPEC pavilion at the COP is like having a huge oil rig in the negotiations,” he denounced. “We want a total, fair and rapid exit from fossil fuels”, the activists then chanted before withdrawing.

“Put pressure”

While negotiations officially entered the last 48 hours, several options are still on the table, including having no mention of fossil fuels in the text of the final agreement. Nicolas Haeringer from the NGO 350.org explained that this action also aimed to “put pressure”. “The only acceptable possibility given the reality of global warming is a rapid exit,” he continued by calling on historical Western polluters “to set an example and provide funding to southern countries”.

The 28th United Nations Climate Conference could mention for the first time the role of fossil fuels in its final agreement and commit its participants to getting rid of them, while the consumption of oil, coal and gas is largely responsible for global warming.