Overcoming Unprecedented Oil and Gas Industry Influence at UN Climate Talks

Union of Concerned Scientists

December 5, 2023 RACHEL CLEETUS/UCS

Kathy Mulvey

Accountability Campaign Director, Climate & Energy Program

Fossil fuel industry influence has been front and center in the UN international climate negotiations—the 28^th conference of the parties (COP28)—in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This is alarming but not surprising, given that the nations of the world are finally working toward an agreement to phase out fossil fuels. They know it’s the end of the fossil fuel era, and they’re showing up in force because they’re scared. Vested interests of the fossil fuel industry are pulling out all the stops by co-opting leadership roles, flooding the official negotiating space with lobbyists to water down text, and attempting to distract negotiators with bogus voluntary initiatives. Clearly, talk of a fossil fuel phaseout is striking a nerve. 

Now the nations of the world must meet the moment in Dubai to agree to a fast and fair phaseout of all fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas), something more than 650 scientists urged President Biden to champion in a letter sent last month. It will certainly not be easy, but it is essential to limit the worst impacts of climate change, accelerate the clean energy transition, and build a healthier, safer, more just world. 

Fossil Fuels and Climate: Conflicting Interests 

It’s well known that there are serious conflict of interest issues with the head of this year’s talks, Sultan Al-Jaber, who is also the head of an oil company. On the eve of the talks, leaked internal documents revealed that the United Arab Emirates planned to use its role as the host of COP28 to pursue oil and gas deals. 

Science shows that that fossil fuels are by far the largest contributor to human-caused climate change. Despite recent statements to the contrary, a fast and fair fossil fuel phaseout is really the only option to limit climate change damage and safeguard people’s health, lives, and livelihoods. There’s no room for the fossil fuel industry’s well-worn playbook of distraction, deception, and delay. 

In fact, fossil fuel industry influence at COP has been the rule, not the exception. A recent analysis by the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition found that lobbyists and other representatives of the biggest polluting oil and gas firms have attended UN climate talks at least 7,200 times over the past 20 years. 

ExxonMobil Chair and CEO Darren Woods’s unprecedented presence here at COP28 is part of the corporation’s campaign to regain its social license. By showing up at climate talks, Woods is attempting to convince decisionmakers, the public, and investors that his corporation is part of the solution for climate change (although he revealed his determination to preserve fossil fuel business as usual when he complained that the talks have focused on renewable energy for too long). 

But Woods is far from alone. He is among a record 2,456 fossil fuel industry lobbyists here. According to a new analysis of the COP28 participants list by the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition:  

• Fossil fuel industry representatives outnumbered almost every country delegation to COP28. 
• There are more fossil fuel lobbyists than delegates from the 10 most climate vulnerable nations combined, and seven times as many fossil fuel lobbyists as official Indigenous representatives. 

Thanks to civil society organizing, new rules requiring participants to disclose who they represent have increased transparency at COP28. But this year’s eye-popping figure—nearly four times the number of fossil fuel lobbyists at COP27—is likely an undercount, because delegates can still hide their ties to fossil fuel interests. 

More Empty Promises from the Oil and Gas Industry  

How does all this influence play out? Among the flurry of announcements in the first days of COP28 is the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter. Led by the president of this year’s talks, the charter is a voluntary initiative by oil and gas corporations. Don’t be fooled by the hype. The charter largely restates woefully insufficient emissions-reduction pledges already made by investor-owned fossil fuel corporations while bringing some national oil companies under its umbrella. 

More than 320 organizations on six continents published a letter rejecting the charter as a greenwashing ploy and calling on the COP presidency to drop the charter and instead focus on working within the COP process to secure a legally binding energy package that includes a fossil fuel phaseout, triples renewable energy, and doubles energy efficiency. 

According to the COP president, 50 companies representing 40 percent of global oil production have signed onto the charter, announced as part of a broader Global Decarbonization Accelerator. Major corporations, including BP, ENI, ExxonMobil, Shell, and TotalEnergies, signed the initiative. Many of the investor-owned oil and gas corporations signing the charter already claim to be aligned with the goals of the Paris climate agreement and have pledged to reach net-zero global warming emissions by 2050. National oil companies represent 60 percent of the signatories.

The charter covers only operational emissions. While reducing operational emissions is necessary, and it’s low-hanging fruit that can help limit the worst impacts of climate change, it is far from sufficient. The lion’s share of oil and gas sector emissions (80 to 90 percent for most oil and gas corporations) come when their products are burned. That is their intended and inevitable use when producers extract and process them, and it is the driver of company profits. 

Oil and gas corporations want the public and policymakers to focus on emissions, not fossil fuels. We’re getting that spin from ExxonMobil’s Darren Woods. Unfortunately, the US government is singing the same tune. ExxonMobil and other oil and gas corporations tout technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) and schemes to trade and offset their global warming emissions. But such approaches are no substitute for steep cuts in emissions from fossil fuel production and use, and they cannot make a meaningful contribution to the reductions that are needed in the crucial time frame between now and 2030. Furthermore, CCS cannot stop air, water and land pollution from extracting, refining, distributing, burning, and disposing of fossil fuels, all which disproportionately harm low-income people, communities of color, and Indigenous peoples in the United States and the Global South. 

Stop the Greenwashing Game 

There is a real risk that the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter only serves to launch a new era of greenwashing cross-pollination between transnational investor-owned oil and gas corporations and national oil companies. That would be bad news, and only compound the climate crisis. Since the 2015 adoption of the Paris climate agreement, we’ve seen BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell aggressively expand oil and gas exploration and production while claiming to be part of the solution for climate change. 

This public relations onslaught includes paid advertising in traditional and social media, glossy climate reports, voluntary and selective disclosures, and emission-reduction targets misleadingly framed to appear significant while justifying business as usual. Big Oil’s deception campaign is increasingly becoming a legal liability, fueling a rising tide of climate litigation, as California Attorney General Rob Bonta told COP28 participants. But scrutiny from public prosecutors and investors hasn’t stopped the industry from aggressively lobbying against mandatory and standardized corporate reporting such as the climate disclosure rule proposed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission in March 2022 and two climate disclosure laws recently enacted in California. 

Mandatory and Enforceable Obligations are Needed 

The question regarding the appropriate role of voluntary initiatives within the international climate negotiations is complex. Voluntary initiatives cannot be a substitute for enforceable commitments and mandatory obligations with independent monitoring and verification—and they can even be a distraction or delay tactic. 

That’s not to say voluntary initiatives have no role to play as part of an all-hands-on-deck approach to addressing the climate crisis. Increasingly, leaders from civil society, businesses, Indigenous communities, labor, and other key constituencies convene around these talks, and major efforts to ratchet up ambition and action across all sectors of society are launched at COPs. 

But nations are the decisionmakers at international climate talks. They could have committed themselves to the charter’s principles years ago and required national oil companies to comply. Instead, states that are home to national oil companies have helped delay and block progress in the international climate talks for decades. The United States, heavily influenced by lobbyists for ExxonMobil and other investor-owned companies and their surrogates, such as the American Petroleum Institute and US Chamber of Commerce, also has been guilty of stalling and obstruction. 

At COP28, nations are undertaking the first global stocktake to examine progress made since the adoption of the Paris climate agreement. Through this process, they could commit to hold corporations under their jurisdiction—national oil companies as well as investor-owned fossil fuel corporations—accountable to achieve the emissions reductions promised in the charter. But, in point of fact, those emissions reductions are far too little, far too late. What the world actually needs in this global stocktake is a clear international commitment to a fair, fast, and funded phaseout of fossil fuels.

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About the author

MORE FROM KATHY

Kathy Mulvey is the accountability campaign director and advocate for the Climate & Energy team at the Union of Concerned Scientists. In her role, she leads strategic development of UCS’s climate corporate accountability campaign, guides engagement with corporate targets, builds national and international coalitions, and mobilizes experts and supporters.

UK seeks to revive migrant transfer deal with Rwanda

DW

18 hours ago

Britain and Rwanda have inked a new treaty aimed at rescuing failed plans for the UK to deport asylum-seekers. A top court ruling had blocked the policy, saying it violated human rights laws enshrined in UK legislation.

The UK government is hoping that new assurances will ensure the Rwanda plan goes ahead

 Ben Birchall/AP/picture alliance

The interior ministers of Britain and Rwanda on Tuesday signed an agreement aimed at reviving a failed policy aimed at relocating irregular arrivals to the UK to the East African country.

The UK government said the plan, dismissed by the opposition as unworkable, is essential for it to meet a promise to slash migration.

What did the ministers say about the deal?

UK Home Secretary James Cleverly signed the agreement with his Rwandan counterpart, Vincent Biruta, saying it would "address all the issues" raised by the UK Supreme Court last month when it ruled that the policy was unlawful.

"There is a lot of desire to continue to improve the process. The UK and Rwanda are working on this because it is important," Cleverly said at a joint press briefing in Kigali.

Biruta said his country remained committed to the proposal and had no plans to withdraw support.

"Rwanda is very committed to this partnership and that is why we worked with the UK government to address the concerns raised by the Supreme Court."

What does the new treaty entail?

The agreement is believed to include commitments from Rwanda about how asylum-seekers and other migrants would be treated when arriving from Britain.

The UK government hopes that these will address the concerns raised by the Supreme Court in November.

President of the Supreme Court Robert Reed said Rwanda had a history of misunderstanding its obligations to refugees and of "refoulement" — sending claimants back to the country they had sought protection from, even if unsafe.

"There is a real risk that asylum claims will not be determined properly, and that asylum-seekers will in consequence be at risk of being returned directly or indirectly to their country of origin," the judges said. "In that event, genuine refugees will face a real risk of ill-treatment."

A deputy spokesman for Rwanda's government said the two countries would "set up a joint tribunal with both Rwandan and UK judges in Kigali... to make sure that none of the immigrants sent to Rwanda is deported to their country."

The original agreement had envisaged sending to Rwanda anyone who makes "dangerous or illegal journeys" to Britain on small boats from Europe or hidden in lorries.

The two countries struck the deal in April 2022 for such migrants to be sent to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would be processed. If successful, they would stay in Rwanda.

Interview with CEO of the Refugee Council  03:42

The UK government claims that such deportations would discourage others from making the journeys and break the business model of people-smuggling gangs.
Most migration via legal routes

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak — whose party is lagging in the polls and faces an election next year — is under intense pressure to reduce net migration, which hit a record 745,000 last year. The vast majority of those came through legal routes.

Opponents of the agreement with Rwanda say it is unethical and unworkable, with the opposition Labour's home affairs spokeswoman, Yvette Cooper, dismissing it as a "gimmick."

The UK Home Office itself has estimated that removing every asylum-seeker to a country such as Rwanda could cost 169,000 pounds per person (about €197,000; $213,000).

Rwanda has already received an initial payment of 140 million pounds, with the promise that more money would be sent to fund the accommodation and care of any people who are deported.

The legal challenges to the UK government have prompted some on the right of the ruling Conservative Party to urge the government to leave the European Convention on Human Rights after deportation flights were originally blocked by the European Court of Human Rights.

rc/sms (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

German accused of founding armed group to fight COVID rules

Richard Connor

DW
16 hours ago

Prosecutors said a German man has been arrested in Portugal on suspicion of forming an armed group to oppose COVID-19 measures. The man reportedly believed the rules were being used as a pretext to abolish basic rights.

The arrested suspect had reportedly lost his job for refusing to wear a mask at work

German pavement warning

Frank May/picture alliance

German prosecutors on Tuesday said a man suspected of forming an armed group to oppose anti-coronavirus measures has been arrested in Portugal.

Prosecutors in the western city of Koblenz accused the suspect of leading the criminal group "Paladin," producing parts for weapons and holding training sessions with the aim of taking armed action against pandemic measures.

What we know about the group

The 39-year-old suspect, who has German citizenship and most recently lived in Bavaria, is accused, alongside two other individuals, of forming both a criminal organization and an armed group between February 2021 and May 2021.

It is alleged that they committed offenses under Germany's Weapons Act.

Among other things, the lead suspect produced parts for weapons using a 3D printer. Despite the training sessions, there were no indications of concrete attack plans.

The man's whereabouts were unknown since June this year until the arrest, which took place in November.

Prosecutors said the man was in custody awaiting extradition proceedings, although it was unclear if and when he would be sent back to Germany.
What more do we know about the group?

German public broadcaster NDR had previously reported that a European arrest warrant had been issued for the lead suspect, who it identified as Joachim T., as well as two men, aged 56 and 63.

They were reportedly from the district of Bernkastel-Wittlich in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, some 60 kilometers (less than 40 miles) southwest of Koblenz.

The three accused are accused of having "rejected the state measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic and of having seen them as merely a pretext for the state to abolish fundamental rights," NDR cited prosecutors as saying.

T. was reportedly given a suspended sentence at the beginning of 2022 because of illegal weapons production.

In an interview with NDR show Panorama after the conviction, he said he believed the coronavirus health crisis was being "politicized" and that "the basic order would collapse completely."

At the time, he denied having founded an armed group, although he confirmed that he had taken part in meetings in the forest wearing a camouflage uniform.

He allegedly advertised for small armed groups that "go into consistent resistance against criminal arbitrariness," meaning the state-imposed coronavirus measures.

The court was told that T. had lost his job as a physiotherapist because of his refusal to wear a mask at work.

Separately, five people went on trial in Koblenz in May over an alleged plot by a far-right group calling itself United Patriots to kidnap Health Minister Karl Lauterbach in protest at coronavirus measures.

Edited by: Sean Sinico

EU approves ban on destruction of unsold clothing

The EU has approved a ban on the destruction of unsold clothing. New rules will also ensure products are more enviromentally friendly and that goods are also more easily repaired and recycled.

Frank Hoermann/SVEN SIMON/picture alliance


Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU member states on Tuesday reached an agreement to stop large retail groups of destroying unsold clothes and footwear.

The rules are aimed at cracking down on the impact of "fast fashion" and reducing waste.
What we know about the ban

Brussels is seeking to address textile consumption in Europe, which has the fourth highest impact on the environment and climate change after food, housing and transport.

Although the ban in principle will begin after two years for large businesses, exceptions have been agreed for small companies, as well as a transitional period of six years for medium-sized companies.

The latest agreement comes as part of a wider initiative after the European Commission proposed changes to the bloc's so-called ecodesign rules.

This would make products longer-lasting and easier to reuse, repair and recycle, reducing the consumption of resources such as energy and water.

MEP Alessandra Moretti, who spearheaded the legislation through parliament, said: "It is time to end the model of 'take, make, dispose' that is so harmful to our planet, our health and our economy."

"New products will be designed in a way that benefits all, respects our planet and protects the environment."

The Commission will also have the power to widen the ban to other unsold products beyond clothing and footwear.

What other materials might be effected?

Full details of requirements for individual products have not yet been finalized with parliament and member states still needing to officially approve the agreement, although that this is believed to be a formality.

The agreement outlined that the European Commission can issue legally binding requirements to make goods such as furniture, tyres, detergents, paints and chemicals more environmentally friendly.

Goods must also be sold with a "digital product passport", which could be a QR code, in order to help consumers make informed choices about their purchases.

However, numerous raw materials such as iron, steel and aluminium are also to be regulated accordingly in future. Exceptions are planned for goods such as cars and military products.

km/rc (dpa/afp)

 Climate: What is the global stocktake?

Martin Kuebler

DW
23 hours ago

The first global climate progress report found the world won't meet its climate goals, amid soaring temperatures. Will countries "chart a better course" to cut planet-heating emissions at key UN climate talks?

In summer 2023, Wildfires ravaged forests around the world, including in Greece (above).

Alexandros Avramidis/REUTERS

In a year of record-breaking temperatures — both on land and in the sea — the final summary of the recent UN global stocktake report held a dire warning for the planet.

"The window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all is rapidly closing," said the report, the first of its kind. "The Paris Agreement has driven near-universal climate action by setting goals and sending signals to the world regarding the urgency of responding to the climate crisis. While action is proceeding, much more is needed now on all fronts."

The global stocktake, the culmination of two years of analysis by climate scientists, government officials and other experts, is a review of the world's collective progress toward meeting the 2015 Paris Agreement goal of limiting global heating. And it has shown that the world is far off track.

UN warns world off track to meeting development goals  02:48

The report stressed that the goal to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century was becoming increasingly unrealistic. The UN's World Meteorological Organization has said there's a two-out-of-three chance that Earth will temporarily exceed that threshold within the next five years.

In order for the world to stay at 1.5 Celsius, the report said the use of unabated coal power would have to drop by 67-82% by 2030 versus 2019 levels, and drop to almost nothing by mid-century.

The authors of the report also called for "the phaseout of unabated fossil fuels" and for more funding to support low-carbon development. It said the world needed to redirect the $450 billion (€424 billion) in annual subsidies for coal, oil and natural gas, calling for increased funding for people and places hurt by extreme weather caused by global warming.

Disappointment over first draft

Climate negotiators and world leaders are using these findings to shape discussions at the UN climate conference Dubai, with arguments around whether to "phase out" or "phase down" all fossil fuels set to dominate.

Funding the fight against climate change  04:04

A draft text relating to the stocktake published December 1 by the UN Climate Change secretariat (just like the stocktake itself) noted with "concern" the "rapidly narrowing window" for countries to raise their ambitions on cutting emissions to limit warming to 1.5 C.

But the text still makes reference to a possible "phase-down" of oil, coal and gas. Activists, scientists and, most recently, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have said a full phaseout of climate-wrecking fossil fuels is necessary to stop catastrophic planetary heating.

"We must now all show a firm determination to phase out fossil fuels — first and foremost coal. We can set sail for this at this climate conference," Scholz told delegates at the COP28 summit on Saturday.

In the meantime, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, COP28 president and head of Abu Dhabi's state-run oil company, was forced to reiterate his faith in climate science after a video showed him questioning the scientific consensus that a fossil fuel phaseout is necessary to curb global warming.

Other stumbling blocks at COP28

At climate talks in Bonn, Germany, back in June, Harjeet Singh of the Climate Action Network International told DW the thorny questions about who is responsible for planet-warming emissions — both now and in the past — and who is going to finance efforts to reverse course and adapt to the increasingly destructive impacts of climate change continue to dominate.

"Developing countries have to make a choice," said the head of global political strategy, pointing out that they are working with limited resources. "Every day, they have to choose between feeding people on the ground or investing in solar technologies."

Speaking with reporters, he stressed that "finance and equity are going to determine whether we put the world on the right track or it's going to be a doomsday scenario."

"The success of the global stocktake will ultimately determine the success of COP28," wrote UN climate chief Simon Stiell. "It is the defining moment of this year, this COP and — as one of the only two stocktaking moments in this decisive decade of climate action — ultimately pivotal to whether or not we meet our 2030 goals."
How does the global stocktake work?

The idea for the global stocktake came out of the 2015 Paris deal, with countries agreeing to regularly assess how the world was slashing greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to the impacts of a changing world and securing the necessary funds to address the climate crisis.

"The global stocktake is an ambition exercise. It's an accountability exercise. It's an acceleration exercise," said Stiell. "It's an exercise that is intended to make sure every party is holding up their end of the bargain, knows where they need to go next and how rapidly they need to move to fulfill the goals of the Paris Agreement."

The first part of the process, which began back in 2021 and ended earlier this year, involved collecting the latest data on emissions, adaptation efforts and countries' nationally determined contributions, or national climate action plans.

The second phase, the technical assessment which concluded at the Bonn talks in June, gave experts and climate representatives the chance to evaluate the data ahead of political discussions at COP28.

Singh said most international agreements don't have a process like the global stocktake, which allows a periodic review and a chance to develop a forward-looking plan.

"It's unique, a really important process. But we need to make sure it is meaningful, and not just a technical process which will not lead to ambitious action," he said.
Stocktake an 'opportunity to chart a better course'

David Waskow, of the US-based think tank World Resources Institute, said ahead of the Bonn conference that the global stocktake will help shape how countries update their nationally determined contributions in key areas like energy transition, food systems, transport and sustainable consumption, a process they must do by 2025.

"The stocktake was quite explicitly designed to inform the next round of NDCs," he said. "This is really an opportunity to show how the implementation will happen, how the transformation will happen."

"The timing is really important," Singh told DW. "We've heard from scientists, we know what is needed. Now what we need is a political direction. And that's what the world leaders have to deliver."

Mekong farmers find ways to adapt to changing environment 02:58

This article was upated on December 5, 2023 with the latest from the COP28 climate conference in Dubai.

Edited by: Tamsin Walker

COP28: Fossil fuel CO2 emissions to hit record high in 2023

DW 

24 hours ago

As world leaders meet at the UN climate summit in Dubai, a new report shows that carbon emissions are set to hit a record high, with the potential to make climate change worse and fuel more destructive, extreme weather.

As COP28 continues in Dubai, researchers predict record high levels of carbon emissions this year

 Amr Alfliky/REUTERS

Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the burning of coal, oil and gas are expected to hit a record high in 2023, according to a report released on Tuesday.

The Global Carbon Budget report, published by scientists from more than 90 institutions around the world, said total global CO2 emissions are set to hit 36.8 billion metric tons in 2023 — a 1.1% increase on 2022.

Chiefly responsible for the increase, according to the report, are India and China.

The rise in India is a result of power demand growing faster than its renewable energy capacity, leaving fossil fuels to make up the shortfall. In China, fossil fuel emissions have risen dramatically since the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

"The effects of climate change are obvious all around us, but efforts to reduce carbon emissions through the burning of fossil fuels remain painfully slow," said Professor Pierre Friedlingstein from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, who led the research.

"It now looks inevitable we will overshoot the 1.5 C target of the Paris Agreement," he added, referring to the attempt to prevent global warming from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times.

VIDEO  Now or never: How can we still save the climate?  26:06

COP28 in Dubai: Calls for fossil fuel phase-out

The publication of the Global Carbon Budget report comes as government representatives and industry leaders gather at COP28, the United Nations climate change conference being hosted this year in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

"Leaders meeting at COP28 will have to agree rapid cuts in fossil fuel emissions even to keep the 2C target alive," said Professor Friedlingstein.

According to a draft negotiating text seen by the Reuters news agency on Tuesday, some participating countries at the climate conference are considering calling for a formal phase-out of fossil fuels as part of the summit's final deal to fight global warming.

But major oil and gas producers, including Saudi Arabia and Russia, have historically resisted such proposals. Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told Bloomberg TV that his country would "absolutely not" agree to a deal that calls for a phase-down of fossil fuels.

A second option listed in the draft calls for "accelerating efforts toward phasing out unabated fossil fuels," while a third option would be to avoid mentioning a fossil fuel phase-out altogether.

"We're not talking about turning the tap off overnight," German Climate Envoy Jennifer Morgan said. "What you're seeing here is a real battle about what energy system of the future we are going to build together."

COP28 climate talks in United Arab Emirates draw controversy  03:02

How likely is a meaningful deal?

On the COP28 main stage, the chief executives of several major energy firms argued in favor of oil and gas, and sought to highlight their climate-friendly credentials such as cutting emissions of the greenhouse gas methane.

"We are big guys and we can do big things. We can deliver results and we will have to report them very soon," said Jean Paul Prates, CEO of Brazil's state-run oil company Petrobras.

TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne said: "We need absolutely to produce oil and gas in a different way by slashing emissions. And we can do it, we have the technology." But he said it would take a long time.

David Waskow, director of World Resources Institute's international climate initiative, said he did not think a COP28 outcome was possible without a clear mandate for moving away from the global reliance on oil, gas and coal.

"I don't think we're going to leave Dubai without some clear language and some clear direction on shifting away from fossil fuels," he said.

mf/nm (Reuters, dpa)

A fossil fuel phaseout or phasedown: Does it matter?

Martin Kuebler

DW
18 hours ago

Early drafts of the COP28 agreement refer to the "phasedown/out" of fossil fuels, which are responsible for most climate emissions. The final wording will likely be disputed. What's the difference — and does it matter?

People in the Indian capital of New Delhi regularly suffer from weeks of poisonous smog

 Jewel Samad/AFP

The heated issue of fossil fuel energy, which is responsible for most of the planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, has always been divisive at UN climate conferences.

The fact that this year's summit is being hosted by petrostate United Arab Emirates (UAE), a global leader in the oil and gas industry, is focusing the spotlight on the issue even more.

Sultan al-Jaber, who is presiding over this year's COP28 climate talks and also runs the host nation's state-run oil giant ADNOC, has denied media reports in which he appeared to question the scientific consensus that coal, oil and gas must be phased out to curb global warming.

Speaking with reporters on December 4, al-Jaber insisted his remarks had been taken out of context and that he is "laser-focused" on finding a way to limit global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times.

"I have said over and over that the phasedown and the phaseout of fossil fuels is inevitable, that it is essential," said al-Jaber.

Phaseout, phasedown: What's the difference?

It might only be a word of difference, but it is meaningful.

The phasing down of fossil fuels would mean that countries agree to scale back their use of fossil fuels in favor of more climate-friendly energy — non-fossil sources like wind, solar and hydro, and nuclear energy. But it still implies that fossil fuels would be a part of the world's energy mix as efforts to get climate change under control continue.

A phaseout, however, calls for a complete end to burning fossil fuels for energy. That action plan, so far, hasn't found much support with delegates at previous climate summits, especially from nations relying on oil and gas exports for revenue.

Taking stock: Global coal phaseout  04:26

Major producers like the United States, Russia and Saudi Arabia have previously resisted calls for eliminating the use of fossil fuels. Most recently, on December 4, Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said he would "absolutely not" agree to phasing down fossil fuels, never mind phasing them out.

"And I assure you not a single person — I'm talking about governments — believes in that," he told Bloomberg TV.

Earlier this year, UAE Climate Change and Environment Minister Mariam Almheiri instead backed the phasing out of fuel emissions, not the exploitation of oil, gas and coal. She argued that a phaseout would only hurt countries that depend on fossil fuels to prop up their economies.

"The renewable space is advancing and accelerating extremely fast but we are nowhere near to be able to say that we can switch off fossil fuels and solely depend on clean and renewable energy," Almheiri told the Reuters news agency.

"We are now in a transition and this transition needs to be just and pragmatic because not all countries have the resources," she said. A November 2023 report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) found that the UAE's state oil company, ADNOC, has a $150-billion (€140-million) investment plan to boost its oil production capacity by 2027.

COP28 climate talks in United Arab Emirates draw controversy  03:02

Instead, Almheiri suggested eliminating fossil fuel emissions using carbon capture and sequestration technology, saying countries could fight warming and continue to produce oil, gas and coal.

Critics, however, have said this approach would be too expensive. And with less than 0.1% of global emissions captured by such technology today, according to research firm BloombergNEF, it's unlikely to be a significant part of the solution any time soon.
Calls for phaseout relatively new at COP

Even though vast body of scientific research has linked back the ongoing use of fossil fuels to climate change for years, COP delegates have not officially spoken about plans to eliminate them until recently.

It was only two years ago at COP26 in Glasgow that negotiators agreed, for the first time, to "phase down unabated coal power and inefficient subsidies for fossil fuels."

A year later at UN climate talks in Egypt, a group of more than 80 countries including the European Union and small island nations agreed to upgrade that language to include all fossil fuels. They were ultimately blocked by oil, gas and coal-producing nations opposed to the move.

Despite the 2022 setback, campaigners hope the UN's first global stocktake report, released in September as a review of the world's collective progress toward limiting global heating, will spur delegates to action in Dubai. The UN report called for "scaling up renewable energy and phasing out all unabated fossil fuels," a recommendation echoed by many climate groups and scientists.

"Even a few years ago, it was unthinkable to have a decision on fossil fuel phaseout at COP because of the influence of oil and gas producing countries," Romain Ioualalen of the advocacy organization Oil Change International told DW.

With global carbon dioxide emissions expected to hit a record high in 2023, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the opening of the COP28 climate summit on December 1 that it was time to act.

"We cannot save a burning planet with a firehose of fossil fuels," he said. "The science is clear: the 1.5-degree limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels. Not reduce. Not abate. Phaseout — with a clear timeframe aligned with 1.5 degrees."

Edited by: Tamsin Walker

Frontiers is gearing up for COP28 to address the climate emergency

Meeting Announcement

FRONTIERS

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) parties meet every year at the Conference of the Parties (COP) to negotiate and agree action on how to tackle climate change, limit emissions, and halt global warming. These gatherings are the world's highest decision-making body on climate issues and one of the largest international meetings in the world. COP28 will provide a milestone opportunity for the world to come together, course correct, and drive progress to keep 1.5C within reach - so we can meet the goals and ambitions of the Paris Agreement. It will be a pivotal moment for the world to unite around tangible climate action and deliver realistic solutions.  

Addressing climate change, the paramount challenge of our era, hinges upon harmonizing fundamental human needs with sustainable climate remedies. Despite heightened awareness and global pledges, advancements in climate action have lagged and, at moments, fallen short. Confronting this hurdle, open science emerges as a pivotal force for innovation and a driver of groundbreaking solutions, playing a vital role in addressing climate change challenges. 

As world leaders convene at COP28 in an effort to reach consensus on actions to prevent the planet from surpassing the 1.5-degree limit, making scientific data and publications openly accessible is a crucial component of any proposed strategy and measures.  With numerous nations having embraced open science principles, a global agreement to strengthen them is within reach at COP28 and would constitute a tangible achievement.  

FRONTIERS ON A MISSION  

Open science platform Frontiers and the Frontiers Research Foundation will participate in the 28th session of the COP, taking place from 30 November to 12 December in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to ascertain the undeniable power of open science and advance the mission to make science open so that scientists can collaborate better and innovate faster to deliver the solutions that enable healthy lives on a healthy planet.  

As an open access publisher, Frontiers is committed to fostering open and transparent scientific communication and collaboration if we are to stand a chance to find solutions to the biggest challenge of our time. During COP28, Frontiers will showcase its latest initiatives to support global efforts to combat climate change, achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and fulfill the goal of becoming net-zero by 2050.   

FRONTIERS IN ACTION AT COP28  

The urgent nature of the climate crisis demands swift and comprehensive action. Our world stands at the cliff face of irreversible changes, each carrying severe consequences for life as we know it. To combat this, a diverse range of scientific solutions is imperative, and the most effective catalyst lies in making science open. It is the simplest and most cost-effective accelerator for scientific solutions and to save lives. To discuss the pathways towards innovative, sustainable solutions and actions, Frontiers will host several panels in Dubai featuring prominent experts and decision makers from policy, academia, and industry.  

UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub Opening Ceremony 

This session will officially open the UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub (UGIH) COP28 dialogue and feature high-level statements from UGIH supporting partners on their reasons for engagement and plans moving forward. Frontiers’ collaboration with the UGIH will be embodied in commitment to co-develop the Hub’s Digital Platform as a Knowledge partner and to assist in disseminating the UGIH workshops’ outcomes through Frontiers’ journals and Policy Labs, which will be consolidated in official signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Frontiers and the UNFCCC. Moderated by Jorn Verbeeck, KPMG Sustainability and ESG Senior Manager and Board Member of EU Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission, the panel will include: 

• Nitin Arora, Project Manager, UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub 

• Massamba Thioye, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change 

• Kirsten Dunlop, CEO, Climate-KIC 

• Dennis Pamlin, Executive Director, Mission Innovation 

• Martin Wainstein, Executive Director, Open Earth Foundation 

• Andy Deacon, Co-managing Director, Global Covenant of Mayor 

• Luis Neves, CEO, Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative 

• Frederick Fenter, Chief Executive Editor, Frontiers 

• Stephan de Haas, Head of Co-Creation and Client Consulting, T-Systems International. 

Watch the session here. 

Systems Change and Innovation for Climate and Sustainability Action  

How can innovation serve climate and sustainability goals for the benefit of people and the planet? This is the question that will guide this high-level session, which will explore how a need-based and solution-oriented approach to innovation, combined with moonshot mindsets and systems thinking, can enable climate and sustainability solution providers to act appropriately. Additionally, the session will discuss identifying, developing, and scaling these transformative and ambitious solutions in alignment with climate goals. Moderated by Massamba Thioye, the panel will be represented by: 

• Catarina Selada, Head of Policy and Intelligence Unit, Centre of Engineering and Development 

• Jean-Claude Burgelman, Director, Frontiers Planet Prize, former Head of Open Science Unit, European Commission 

• Anna Stanley-Radière, Director, Climate Transparency, Co-leader, World Business Council for Sustainable Development 

• Mike Hayes, Climate Change and Decarbonization Leader, Global Head of Renewable Energy, KPMG International. 

Watch the session here.  

Open Science for Inclusive and Transformative Climate and Sustainability Innovation 

Climate change requires global cooperation, yet reconfiguring infrastructure systems for a zero-carbon world proves cost-prohibitive for many nations. Recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic have demonstrated the power of open knowledge sharing to supercharge innovation and deliver timely solutions. Open science can offer equally transformative change when applied to the existential threats posed by climate change that respond to core human needs. Moderated by Henry Markram, co-founder of Frontiers and professor of neuroscience at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), this panel will explore the advantages of open science as an accelerator of inclusive and sustainable climate innovation. Private and public sector leaders will discuss the importance of making scientific results openly available in order to boost innovation, increase public consensus, and bolster political will to act. Panelists will include: 

• Vladimir Ryabinin, UNESCO Assistant Director-General; Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)   

• Maria Espinosa, former UN General Assembly President UNGA; former Ecuador External Affairs Minister 

• Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, Climate Change and Health Unit Head, World Health Organization  

• Gavin McCormick, Executive Director, WattTime; Co-founder, Climate TRACE 

• Lars Peter Riishøjgaard, Director, World Meteorological Organization. 

Watch the session here. 

The timing of this panel corresponds to the official launch of the Open Science Charter, an initiative by the Frontiers Research Foundation, which urges governments, research institutions, and funders, as well as industry leaders and citizens of the world to commit and act in four main areas: 

1. Unrestricted access to scientific knowledge by 2030: Commit to transitioning all published research articles from subscription to fully open-access models before the end of this decade.   

1. Uphold peer-review quality: Preserve and champion the core values of scientific publishing, including registration, validation, certification, and perpetual conservation of scientific findings.   

1. Transparent pricing linked to quality: Adopt transparent financial models that directly correlate the price of publication with the quality of services offered.   

1. Strengthen trust in science: Make the knowledge available to the public who helped pay for it and who will benefit from its accessibility. 

Read and sign The Charter here.     

Pathways to a Sustainable Earth: Unlocking Solutions through Transformational Science 

How can transformational science be used to unlock breakthrough, scalable solutions for our planet? This session will critically examine the key obstacles and challenges that must be addressed today to fully harness the potential of transformational science as the basis for policy discourse. It will also draw upon the expertise of diverse stakeholders and seek to find consensus on what the missing links are that translate science into action, and what most effective dissemination mechanisms and outlets are needed to bridge this gap. Moderate by Wendy Broadgate, from Future Earth and the Earth Commission, this panel will welcome the following panelists: 

• Sandrine Dixson-Decleve, Co-President, Club of Rome 

• Joeri Roelji, Director of Research, Grantham Institute; Professor of Climate Science and Policy, Imperial College London 

• Paul Behrens, Leiden University, Frontiers Planet Prize international champion 2023 (virtual) 

• Clea Kaske-Kuck, Director, Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, World Business Council for Sustainable Development 

• Lars Peter Riishøjgaard, Director, Global Greenhouse Gas Watch, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) 

• Frederick Fenter, Chief Executive Editor, Frontiers 

Watch the session here. 

Embracing Open Science for the Climate Crisis: Collaborative Solutions for a Resilient Future 

The session will explore how various disciplines and stakeholders are navigating new frontiers of open science in the context of the climate crisis. It will offer international perspectives on current and future applications of open science in biodiversity, physical science, and ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance), while seeking to find corporate-academia synergies using open science for community resilience. Moderated by Sheeba Nettukandy Chenoli of University Malaya, the panel will consist of:  

• Shaliza Binti Ibrahim, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, University Malaya; Co-Chair, Malaysia Open Science Alliance 

• Anna Pirani, Head, WGI Technical Support Unit (TSU), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)  

• Tan Sri Zakri Abdul Hamid, Technology and Innovation Cluster Lead, MNRECC Advisory Panel for COP28  

• Martin Siegert, Co-director, Grantham Institute - Climate Change and Environment 

• Dato' Ami Moris, Board Member, University Malaya; Advisor, Maybank. 

ADVANCING CLIMATE ACTION RESEARCH 

COP28 in Dubai will witness the presentation of the new research article The Zero Emissions Commitment and climate stabilization, which was recently published in Frontiers in Science, Frontiers’ flagship multidisciplinary, open-access journal focused on transformational science. The article examines the concept of zero emissions commitment (ZEC), which quantifies the amount of global warming that would occur after greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to zero. In the piece, the authors review the current scientific understanding of ZEC, its uncertainties, and its implications for climate stabilization and policy. Such knowledge is an important addition in navigating transformative pathways towards a climate-stable future. 

As this year's COP28 marks another crucial milestone in the global response to the climate crisis, Frontiers has launched a new research topic to curate a collection of papers presenting COP28's pressing discussions and themes as well as its outcome and solutions. The Advancing Climate Action: Insights from COP28 research topic is a collaborative effort across several Frontiers journals: Frontiers in Environmental Science, Frontiers in Sustainable Resource Management, Frontiers in Climate, Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, Frontiers in Sustainability, Frontiers in Ocean Sustainability, and Frontiers in Sustainable Energy Policy. It invites contributions from various disciplines and sectors on topics such as mitigation, adaptation, and resilience, in addition to cross-cutting issues such as equity, culture, and transformation. To learn more and submit your research, please visit this dedicated research topic page. 

The climate emergency demands immediate action, and science plays a pivotal role in finding sustainable solutions. Open science, with its commitment to knowledge-sharing, can accelerate our response to the climate crisis and offer solutions. As we start COP28, the time for rhetoric is over. It is the time for action.   

 

No evidence found that cannabis reduces long term opioid use

Caution needed when viewing cannabis as solution to opioid crisis

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

A 20-year Australian study has found no evidence to suggest cannabis reduces illicit opioid use, and it may not be an effective long-term method of reducing harm for those with an opioid use disorder or problematic use of opioids.

Published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the University of Sydney led study is one of the longest of its kind.

Between 2001 to 2022, the study involved a group of 615 people with heroin dependence, many of whom also used cannabis.

Additional analysis also found no consistent evidence between cannabis and other opioid use, including opioids that were prescribed.  

Opioid use is currently responsible for more death and disability than any other illicit drug. Opioid and cannabis use disorders make up approximately 77 percent of all illicit drug disorders.

The researchers say clinicians and policymakers should be cautious about relying on cannabis to reduce problematic opioid use or as a potential strategy to help manage the opioid crisis, especially given a global shift towards cannabis legalisation and recognition as a therapeutic product.

In the United States, some states have policies that allow patients to substitute their prescribed opioids with cannabis.

The Canadian Government is currently reviewing the Cannabis Act in the context of medicinal cannabis for opioid dependence.

To examine the impact of cannabis on opioid use, and vice versa, researchers used a recently developed statistical technique. This allowed them to account for influential factors on opioid and cannabis use in the data such as age and made it possible to focus on individual changes in substance use over time.

“Our investigation shows that cannabis use remains common among this population, but it may not be an effective long term strategy for reducing opioid use ,” says lead author Dr Jack Wilson, from The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, at the University of Sydney.

“There are claims that cannabis may help decrease opioid use or help people with opioid use disorders keep up with treatment.

“But it’s crucial to note those studies examine short- term impact, and focus on treatment of chronic pain and pain management, rather than levels of opioid use in other contexts.”

Another key finding was cannabis use is common among those with an opioid use disorder, and so there needs to be clinical services that offer additional support for people who would like to reduce cannabis use.

“Opioid use disorders are complex and unlikely to be resolved by a single treatment,” says Dr Wilson.

“The best way to support them is evidence-based holistic approaches that look at the bigger picture, and include physical, psychological, and pharmacotherapy therapies.”

-ENDS-

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JOURNAL

American Journal of Psychiatry

ARTICLE TITLE

The long-term relationship between cannabis and heroin use: An 18-20-year follow-up of the Australian Treatment Outcome Study (ATOS)

COI STATEMENT

Declaration: All authors report no financial relationship with any commercial interests. Ethics approval was obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committees of the University of New South Wales and participating health districts.