Are we Transitioning Away from Climate Pledges?
COP28 ended in the hottest year on record in human history. The record volume of ice melted in the Arctic, Antarctic and Himalayas. But it did not thaw the solid frigid iceberg of the world's addiction to fossil fuel.
'Transition away from fossil fuel', were the words in the final decisions that were celebrated by all. Including those who wanted the words 'phase-out of fossil fuel'.
The first-ever global stocktake of the emissions, pledges and plans by the countries was completed in 2023 and COP28 decided to chart the future path to address the climate challenge.
That decision was unambiguous: There is a need for deep, rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in line with 1.5 °C pathways global efforts, as stipulated in the Paris Agreement of 2015. For that world needs :
- Tripling renewable energy capacity globally and doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030;
- Accelerating efforts towards the phase-down of unabated coal power;
- Accelerating efforts globally towards net zero emission energy systems, utilizing zero- and low-carbon fuels well before or by around mid-century;
- Accelerating zero- and low-emission technologies, including, but not limited to renewables, nuclear, abatement and removal technologies such as carbon capture and utilisation and storage, particularly in hard-to-abate sectors, and low-carbon hydrogen production;
- Accelerating and substantially reducing non-carbon-dioxide emissions globally, including in particular methane, and HFCs emissions, by 2030;
- Accelerating the reduction of emissions from road transport on a range of pathways, including through the development of infrastructure and rapid deployment of zero- and low-emission vehicles;
- Phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that do not address energy poverty or just transitions, as soon as possible;
'Accelerating, Phasing-down, and Transitioning away were the phrases used in a decision that did not give a warning that our planet is on the 'climate cliff' the way it was on the 'Pandemic Cliff' in 2019. At that time, the world simply shut down. The doors were not even cracked open. The words 'transitioning away from virus' did not even emerge. The whole world was making efforts to 'phase out of virus'.
The only vaccine for the climate pandemic is to phase in the determination of youth to deploy alternative technology and climate-positive behaviour. END
Dr Rajendra Shende
Former Director UNEP, IIT BombayAlumni
Founder Director, Green TERRE Foundation
Prime Mover Smart Campus Cloud Network
Coordinating lead author of IPCC.