EU will push for phaseout of unabated fossil fuels at COP28 summit
The EU has agreed to endorse a global phaseout of unabated fossil fuels "well before 2050" at the upcoming COP28 summit.
PHOTO: Building of the Council of Europe with the flags of the member states in Strasbourg, France. Getty Images
Meeting of EU climate ministers in Luxembourg concluded with a consensus on the EU’s position at the COP28 climate summit scheduled in UAE next month.
The bloc's Environmental Council agreed to push other nations to peak fossil fuel consumption within this decade and phase out unabated fossil fuels by 2050 at COP28.
However, there were some divisions between EU member states prior to the Environmental Council meeting. While some EU nations advocated eliminating all fossil fuels without loopholes, others focused on technological advancements to reduce climate change.
According to a letter sent to the UN General Assembly on 19 September, the High Ambition Coalition – a global alliance of small island nations, developing countries in Africa and Micronesia and some EU countries – called for stronger action against climate crisis.
“Staying within 1.5 degrees requires us to halve global emissions this decade on the way to net zero. We know the first step is to peak greenhouse gas emissions before 2025, and unless we do this, we have no chance of halving emissions by 2030,” the letter said.
“Systemic transformations are needed across all economic sectors, driven by a global phase out of fossil fuels. Abatement technologies have a role to play in reducing emissions, but that role in the decarbonization of energy systems is minimal. We cannot use it to green-light fossil fuel expansion,” it added.
From the EU bloc, the signatories to the letter included, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain. In addition, other signatories were: Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Samoa, Saint Lucia, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kenya, Federated States of Micronesia, Colombia, Barbados, Chile and New Zealand.
On the other hand, EU members such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland and Slovakia were advocating for taking a stand against “unabated” fossil fuels, according to a Reuters report.
The EU's stance at COP28 sends a “clear signal” to the global community, the Slovak government's spokesperson said in a social media post. “Technological neutrality & right to use own energy mix should be taken into account,” it added.
Moreover, the EU has also called for a global phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies that undercut support for energy transition "as soon as possible" without setting a specific date.
While France and the Netherlands were backing the removal of fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, Poland was against setting a hard deadline, Reuters reported.
By Konica Bhatt
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