Climate talks always fail, but they are failing better
All the treaties and coalitions are merely tools to meet the end of emissions reduction
ANOTHER 12 months have passed. Another 36.8 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide have been spewed into the atmosphere. After three decades of climate meetings, emissions are still increasing, when they should be falling. At the COP28 summit in Dubai, there’s more interminable arguments over the wishy-washy verbiage in a treaty that most of the world seems determined to flout.
Welcome to the world of climate diplomacy. Every two steps forward is accompanied by one or two steps back. There will be many more tame promises and milquetoast deals before this process is done.
Here’s the good news: The draft text released Monday evening (Dec 11) in Dubai calls for a rapid decline in coal usage, and a reduction in all fossil fuels at the speed necessary to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Coal, oil and gas will be progressively squeezed out of our power systems if the text’s exhortation to triple renewable capacity globally and double the rate of energy efficiency improvements is met.
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