Aussie emissions phrase used in Pacific talks saves the day at COP

Hours after the applause and relief that the world had finally reached a landmark climate agreement in Dubai, US special envoy* John Kerry conceded* he thought it might not happen.

The seasoned international negotiator recalled a conversation with one minister who worried about a deal that would signal the end of fossil fuels*.

“One minister from one of those countries involved said, ‘John, you can’t ask us to commit economic suicide*’,” Mr Kerry said.

He did not name the country, but Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, led the charge against any strong language on fossil fuels. Kuwait and Iraq were also staunch* opponents.

In the end, nearly 200 countries adopted a deal on Wednesday stating that the world would be “transitioning* away from fossil fuels” in order to achieve net-zero emissions* by 2050.

It was the first time in the 28-year history of the Conference of the Parties that all fossil fuels were mentioned in an accord*.

“I never thought we were going to have the kind of breadth that we have today, to be honest with you,” Mr Kerry said on Wednesday.

He was not alone.

“It was ‘unhoped’ for,” said a European negotiator.

SAUDI RESISTANCE
Another European negotiator said the Emirati hosts were under heavy pressure from both their “big brother” – Saudi Arabia – and, “on the other side”, from the EU and islands most vulnerable* to extreme weather.

The clash centred around the phrase “phase-out” – pushed by an unprecedented* alliance* of countries but hated by oil producers.

After several sleepless nights of negotiations and heavy edits, a middle ground was found: “transitioning away”.

An adviser to COP28 president Sultan Al Jaber said the text was “finely calibrated*” and was “not perfect” for either the major oil producers or the island states.

THE AMBITIOUS ONES
Despite having to give up on the phrase “phase-out”, a self-styled “ambitious” alliance of countries still felt they achieved something that was unimaginable just a year ago.

The eclectic* alliance, ranging from European nations to Canada, Colombia, Chile and Kenya, had started COP28 on the right foot by setting aside their differences over another issue on the very first day of the summit.

In record time, on November 30, COP28 launched a “loss and damage” fund that will cover the cost of climate catastrophes in vulnerable countries.

With that issue out of the way, the coalition of more than 100 countries stuck together to lead the charge on fossil fuels.

When Dr Al Jaber proposed on Monday a draft deal that merely suggested that nations “could” reduce fossil fuel production and consumption, the coalition kept up the pressure.

Meeting with Dr Al Jaber, they raised the spectre of ending COP28 with no deal.

TERMS OF THE COMPROMISE
Dr Al Jaber went back to the drawing board, but “transitioning away” was not his phrase.

Similar language was used in November in a deal between Australia and Pacific Islands that called for a transition away from oil, gas and coal in line with global efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The term “transition” came back during Monday night’s crisis in Dubai when it was used by Australia and Norway, two major fossil fuel producers.

“In my opinion ‘phase out’ is a campaign term and transitioning is more international public policy. We heard more and more people mention it in the last few hours,” UAE negotiator Hana Al Hashimi told AFP on Thursday.

CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES
No consensus* would have been possible without the approval of China and the United States, who between them account for 41 per cent of greenhouse gas* emissions.

Mr Kerry had met with Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua before COP28, setting the stage for close collaboration during the two-week summit in the Emirates.

In November, the two sides issued a joint statement in California which called for speeding up the rollout of renewable* energy in order to “accelerate the substitution for coal, oil and gas generation”.

Mindful to not rattle its fragile partnership with China, the United States let the “ambitious” nations lead the phase-out fight.

The US delegation* showed little enthusiasm at first, a European negotiator said. But Mr Kerry eventually made impassioned speeches for their cause.

The key US contribution was securing China’s backing, the negotiator said.

“Keeping China on board is in itself a remarkable achievement,” he said.

METHODICAL PREPARATION
The Emirati hosts were also given credit for the result after climate campaigners doubted that an oil-rich nation could deliver a satisfactory deal.

Those doubts were reinforced when Dr Al Jaber, who heads national oil company ADNOC, was named COP28 president in January 2022.

He did not raise climate activists’ hopes early in the role, when he referred broadly to reducing “emissions” rather than fossil fuels.

But Dr Jaber changed his tune in June, when he started saying that a “phase-down” of fossil fuels was “inevitable”.

Over the last month alone, the Emirati negotiating team carried out more than 40 consultations.

Speaking to AFP, Cuban diplomat Pedro Luis Pedroso, who chaired the influential G77+China group, which represents 134 developing countries, said that “The UAE behaved remarkably with inclusivity in the whole process.”

“To be honest, I don’t think they came to this COP with a preconceived text at all,” he said.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• special envoy: a special diplomatic representative of a country or organisation
• fossil fuels: hydrocarbon-containing materials such as coal, oil, and natural gas, formed naturally in the Earth’s crust from the remains of dead plants
• economic suicide: policies seen to have severe economic impacts for a region, state or country
• staunch: committed, dedicated, always loyal to someone or something, including an idea
• transitioning: changing, transforming, shifting from one position to another over time
• net-zero emissions: balance between the greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere
• accord: an official agreement, pact, deal, treaty
• vulnerable: weaker or less able to protect itself in some way, exposed or less able to defend itself against attack or natural disasters
• unprecedented: never seen before
• alliance: group of countries, political parties, or people working together with shared aims
• calibrated: carefully adjusted or checked
• eclectic: unusual or unexpected collection of something from many different sources
• consensus: harmony, general agreement or accord
• greenhouse gas: gases that trap heat in the atmosphere
• renewable: energy derived from natural sources that are replenished at a higher rate than they are consumed
• delegation: a group of people chosen to represent others

EXTRA READING

Climate topics tackled at COP28

Waste pyramid zeros in on plastics problem

Renewables in power struggle

QUICK QUIZ

1. How many countries adopted the climate deal struck at COP28 on Wednesday?
2. The Emirati hosts in Dubai were under pressure from which two sides?
3. What new fund was launched at COP28 on November 30 and who will it aid?
4. No consensus would have been possible without the approval of which two superpowers?
5. Which phrase was taken out and what language replaced it in order to get fossil fuels named in the agreement?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. What’s the difference?
Why did the oil producing countries prefer using the words “transition away from fossil fuels” instead of “phase-out fossil fuels”? Think carefully about what these terms mean and then brainstorm as many reasons as you can. Use information in the story to help you.

Time: allow at least 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English

2. Extension
What do you think John Kerry might have said to Xie Zhenhua to convince China to back the climate agreement? Write what you think would be a very convincing argument. Use information in the story and possibly your research skills to help you.

Time: allow at least 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Geography

VCOP ACTIVITY
BAB it!Show you have read and understood the article by writing three sentences using the connectives “because’’, “and”, and “but” (BAB). Your sentences can share different facts or opinions, or the same ones but written about in different ways.