FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Nicole Rodel, Oil Change International – nicole@priceofoil.org
Oil Change International response to COP28 Leaders’ summit summary
Today the COP28 Presidency published the summary of the World Climate Action Summit (WCAS), where 154 Heads of States and Government, and 22 International Leaders gathered on 1 and 2 December.
Leaders expressed ambition to keep Paris goals within reach, highlighted opportunities to cut emissions in every sector, and emphasized the need for a “phase down of fossil fuels in support of a transition consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C”.
Romain Ioualalen, Global Policy lead at Oil Change International lead, said:
“Strong support from the leaders’ summit to address fossil fuels in the final COP28 agreement is a promising sign, but it is just not good enough.
“Leaders must raise their ambition above a phase down, and agree to immediately stop new fossil fuel expansion, and build a fast, full, fair, and funded phaseout of all fossil fuels while rapidly phasing in renewables. Governments will need to tackle fossil fuel production and use as well as deploy renewable energy at scale if they want to meet their own goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C – with no loopholes for abatement technologies like carbon capture and storage. Contrary to the COP28 president’s assertions, the science is abundantly clear that warming will continue as long as we keep producing and burning fossil fuels.
“The only safe, reliable technology to reduce fossil fuel industry emissions from burning oil, gas, and coal is renewable energy. The IEA has confirmed that we have the technology now to transition to our energy system in line with 1.5ºC. We do not need to, and cannot, rely on future speculative technologies that only serve the interest of fossil fuel companies to justify continued burning of fossil fuels while profits fill their pockets. That is why parties need to oppose the inclusion of the “unabated” qualifier in the COP28 decision. Wind and solar are here, they are cost competitive and powering people’s homes and businesses now. That is the technology we need to make a clean energy economy a reality.”
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Chek out “These Companies Are Pushing Back on Science Showing Their Pollution,” Aaron Clark, 11-29-2023, Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-11-30/pemex-glencore-question-science-behind-satellite-based-methane-tracking Subheading: ” When researchers said satellite data showed their facilities had leaked huge amounts of methane, companies began questioning the scientific analysis.”
Signing means NOTHING. It only wastes more time in negotiating what we all already know. ACTION is what we require here and NOW. Enough playing games, we either have adequate leadership, or we must get some NOW.