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”. 

A global coalition of civil society groups organized a demonstration at the COP28 climate negotiations in UAE on “Finance Day” to demand that the Japanese government stop financing new fossil fuel projects and shift support to renewable energy. The action featured activists wearing inflatable Pikachu costumes and a slogan calling on Japan to say #SayonaraFossilFuels.

Welcome to Finance Day. The UN Climate Talks are heating up, and not without controversy. Between COP28 President Al Jaber’s science denying statements, the US’ flawed methane plan, and more, things are off to a rocky start. Here's what the Oil Change International team will be doing today at the UN climate talks.

– Today at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), the U.S. government promoted its flawed plan to lead a global framework on the measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV) of methane, carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gas emissions from gas. 

COP28 President Al Jaber’s science-denying statements are alarming and raise deep concerns about the Presidency’s capacity to lead the UN climate talks, at a time when leadership and a clear vision are most needed. Of course, denying science has been part of the fossil fuel industry’s playbook for decades. But science is not up for debate: we must phase out fossil fuels to have a livable planet.