Experts say draft text from UN climate change conference falls short

ISTANBUL

Experts speaking at the UN climate change conference COP30 on Tuesday called the summit’s draft text insufficient, saying a working roadmap for phasing out the use of carbon-emitting fossil fuels is needed.

A press conference immediately after the draft text was published was held by the US-based environmental group Center for Biological Diversity at the ongoing gathering in Belem, Brazil.

The text, which highlights climate finance, unilateral trade restrictions, improving nationally determined contributions, and transparency, proposes the creation of new working groups on these issues, offering multiple options to address the problems under those subject headings.

Text under fire

But experts voiced their concerns over the draft text, with some citing promises two years ago at COP28, held in 2023 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.

“What we need is a clear collective direction of travel on how countries intend to phase out fossil fuels based on equity, and how rich Global North countries will provide finance and support to the countries that need it,” said Romain Ioualalen, global policy campaign manager at the research organization Oil Change International.

Omar Elmawi, representative of the Kenyan-based environmental movement Africa Movement of Movements, said that in the current global system of dependence on fossil fuels, actions must be taken instead of more promises.

Jean Su, director of the Energy Justice Program at the Center for Biological Diversity, called the current US administration’s non-participation in the summit as an opportunity, stating that the processes would not be blocked while highlighting that Washington is still an important actor as one of the largest producers of fossil fuels.

“(Government) ministers must fix this mess and deliver the progress that we need to make the fair and funded transition away from fossil fuels they promised in Dubai a reality,” said Ioualalen.

In a separate press conference organized by the World Wildlife Fund, the importance of forests in combating the climate crisis and the necessity of protecting these habitats were emphasized. Organization’s Director General Kirsten Schuijt said that the goals of the Paris Agreement cannot be achieved without protecting forests and that their ecosystems are increasingly being damaged in many parts of the world.

The conference is set to end this Friday, but in other years it went into overtime to reach an agreement.

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