With two months left until the UN’s COP28 summit, countries are far from bridging the gap between those demanding a deal to phase out planet-warming fossil fuels and nations insisting on preserving a role for coal, oil, and natural gas.
Other countries that produce or rely on fossil fuels emphasized the potential use of technologies to “abate” – meaning capture – their emissions, rather than ending the use of such fuels completely. While a COP28 pact to reduce fossil fuel use would not prompt an immediate exit from oil and gas, the European Union and other supporters say it is vital for guiding national policies and investments away from polluting energy.
But by July, the pledge faltered as the larger G20 – which includes oil and gas producers like Saudi Arabia and Russia – failed to reach consensus on the issue. Some developing countries are also resisting a phase-out, saying they need fossil fuels to expand their electricity capacity for economic development – in the same way nations like Japan and the United States have done.