Some scientists see the Global Stocktake, the text calling for ‘transitioning away’ from fossil fuels, as a positive development, but others point out that it is non-binding and lacks the support of emerging countries.
Will the diplomatic measures agreed upon in Dubai at COP28 be strong enough to accelerate climate action?
No sooner had Sultan al-Jaber’s gavel fallen on Wednesday, December 13, than many scientists hesitated on how to describe it.
Some were glad a signal had been sent to the world on the urgency needed for climate action, while others pointed to the watered-down vocabulary that failed to bind states to action.
“Climate diplomacy is often about taking small steps, but this one is bigger than the others,” said Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, a climatologist and the former vice president of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
“It’s also a cultural battle, and this conference sends the message – to leaders, to industry, to the general public – that we need to move toward a fossil-free planet.”
Read more Article réservé à nos abonnés COP28: Historic agreement in Dubai calls for ‘transitioning away from fossil fuels’
It is not yet possible to determine what influence this COP text will have, as it highlights, for the first time, the responsibility of fossil fuels on global warming.
An extension of the Paris Agreement, the Global Stocktake negotiated in Dubai suffers from the same weakness: It is non-binding, and therefore relies on the goodwill of states. Its success will depend on the policies implemented in the coming months.
“New financial sources, ambitious new climate plans and progress in terms of adaptation still need to be discussed beyond COP28 and before COP29,” said Laurence Tubiana, the president of the European Climate Foundation and architect of the Paris Agreement.
