The COP28 Cop Out

COP28, the much ballyhooed U.N.-sponsored climate change conference in Dubai (of all places), has circulated a draft international climate agreement that contains many suggestions for curbing fossil fuels use, but stops short of calling for phasing out fossil fuels.  From the linked article:

"A new draft of a COP28 agreement, published by the United Arab Emirates' presidency of the summit, proposed various options but did not refer to a 'phase out' of all fossil fuels, which had been included in a previous draft.

The draft deal listed eight options that countries 'could' use to cut emissions, including by: 'reducing both consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly and equitable manner so as to achieve net zero by, before, or around 2050'.

Other actions listed included tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, 'rapidly phasing down unabated coal' and scaling up technologies including those to capture CO2 emissions out of the atmosphere." (our emphasis)

Now, what could possibly be behind the hesitance to call for fossil fuel's phase out? 

"A coalition of more than 100 countries including oil and gas producers the United States, Canada and Norway, as well as the European Union and climate-vulnerable island nations, wanted an agreement that included language to phase out fossil fuels, a feat not achieved in 30 years of the U.N. summits.

Sources familiar with the discussions said the UAE had come under pressure from Saudi Arabia to drop any mention of fossil fuels from the text.

Negotiators and observers inside the COP28 talks told Reuters that Saudi Arabia, de facto leader of the OPEC oil producers' group, was among the main opponents of a deal to phase out oil and gas." (our emphasis)

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin "Bone Saw" Salman loves those petrodollars (and his undue influence) too much to push a total phase out of fossil fuels. But we're sure the guests at the conference were treated to the best food, drink and entertainment the Saudis could buy. 

(photo: Conference President Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber [UAE] / Getty Images)