World Climate Conference in Dubai decides on "transition" away from fossil fuels
After a second night of negotiations, the COP President presented the revised central text of the resolution on Wednesday morning. It calls for a "transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems", making it the first resolution at a UN climate conference to address the future of all fossil fuels - including oil and gas as well as coal.
Countries such as those of the EU were thus unable to push through their demand to agree a global move away from all fossil fuels in the face of fierce opposition from oil states such as Saudi Arabia. Nevertheless, the EU expressed its satisfaction. "For the first time in 30 years, we could now be reaching the beginning of the end of fossil fuels," said EU Climate Action Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra on his way into the plenary hall.
The text calls for a tripling of global renewable energy capacity by 2030 and a doubling of energy efficiency in the same period. However, it also contains references to "transitional energies" such as natural gas and the controversial technologies for capturing and storing CO2.
Environmental and development organizations described the new draft resolution as a significant improvement on the previous vague draft and an "important signal", but criticized it as insufficient.
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Source: www.stern.de
