No more exit from fossil fuels in new preliminary version of COP28 final text

In previous versions there were several options related to the journey (‘get rid of‘) included. The only way out now mentioned in the nearly twenty-page text is “ineffective support for fossil fuels that contribute to waste and do not contribute to eliminating energy poverty and achieving a just transition.” In addition, the text, drafted by COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber and his team, also calls for reducing coal use and restricting the permitting of new coal projects that cannot capture carbon dioxide emissions.

There is also a reference to tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency by 2030 and a call to focus on renewable energy, nuclear energy and carbon capture and storage, among others, to replace fossil fuels without such capture. The text therefore goes much less far than previous versions, where exiting fossil fuels was on the table. However, Saudi Arabia and OPEC, among others, have already indicated that such a text would be unacceptable to them.

The current text will be discussed in a plenary session at 6 pm local time (3 pm Belgium time).