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. 

As the UN climate talks are well underway, fossil fuel phase out and an agreement to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency are top of the agenda. Today, ahead of finance day, transforming public finance institutions to free up billions of dollars that are available to pay for the just transition is also entering the conversation - as 200+ civil society groups today call on world leaders to use COP28 to overhaul global monetary, trade, tax, and debt rules, as well as international financial institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. 

Today 222 civil society groups from 55 countries sent an open letter calling on world leaders to transform international public finance to tackle climate change and deliver a just energy transition.

The Global Decarbonisation Accelerator is a trojan horse for Big Oil and Gas greenwash. The Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter is filled with hollow promises and recycled commitments that only address operational emissions, and ignore the 80-90% of oil and gas producing companies’ climate pollution from the oil and gas being burned. 

Minutes ago, Norway joined a major international initiative to end international public finance for fossil fuels today at COP28, called the Clean Energy Transition Partnership.