Summary
Wrapping up another day of Cop28 in Dubai, the main event was Sultan Al Jaber, the summit president, calling a surprise press conference.
He called the presser after the Guardian reported he had said a phase-out of fossil fuels would not allow sustainable development “unless you want to take the world back into caves”.
Al Jaber gave a fierce defence of himself, claiming his comments had been “misinterpreted”. He defended his record, and said he believes in the science and that Cop28 has been very successful so far.
All eyes will now be on Al Jaber over the coming days to see if he can fulfil his pledge that an “unprecedented outcome” to keep alive hopes of limiting global temperature rises to 1.5C, is within reach.
In other developments:
Water Aid called for rich countries to do more to meet this year’s target of $300m for the climate adaptation fund.
More than 1000 climate scientists called for mass collective action to avert climate breakdown.
Representatives of small island states said they would continue to demand a phaseout of fossil fuels – and hold Sultan Al Jaber to account for this.
Updated
Scientists urge public to take collective action to stop climate breakdown
Nearly 1500 scientists, who include authors of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports on the climate crisis, have signed an open letter calling on the public to take collective action to avert climate breakdown.
“We are terrified,” they warn. “We need you.”
“Wherever you are, become a climate advocate or activist,” the letter, published on Monday by Scientist Rebellion says.
They published the letter as delegates of world leaders at COP28 in Dubai have yet to come to any agreement on the idea that fossil fuels should be either “phased out” or “phased down” as the UN climate conference continues. Remarkably no COP has ever managed to produce a global agreement on either a phase out or down of fossil fuels.
Fossil fuel lobbyists are in force at the conference, and the chair Sultan Al Jaber, who is also head of the UAE national oil company, Adnoc, is under fire over comments revealed in The Guardian claiming there is no science behind demands for a phase out of fossil fuels.
In frustration at the lack of action by Governments, the scientists are calling for a large-scale mobilisation of society to tackle the entrenched power of the fossil fuel industry, its lobbyists and politicians.
