Wednesday 13 December, 2023
Press Release
COP28 sent strong signals for the energy transition but much work lies ahead to set it on course for a fossil-free and renewables-based economies by 2050
Dubai, UAE – High hopes were set at the beginning of COP28 for a historic breakthrough with unprecedented ambition around a fair and equitable renewable energy and energy efficiency package. Expectations plummeted at the announcement of the outcome, but unprecedented mentions of renewable energy, energy efficiency and fossil fuel phaseout send strong signals that the renewable energy era is here and ongoing.
“We will build on the positive elements of the decision. Governments will need to quickly put in place policies to double efficiency, triple renewables and transition away from fossil fuels. Success depends on the engagement and support of all players. REN21 will continue working with governments, market players and civil society to build common ground, ensure focus on the essential solutions, and make the transition happen. REN21 will also continue tracking progress towards shifting to renewables. Commitments must be delivered,” said Rana Adib, REN21 Executive Director.
The renewable energy and energy package was expected to light the path for a just energy transition away from fossil fuels in an orderly manner with adequate finance, capacity building and renewable technologies to support developing countries in leapfroging to prosperity. The ambition to bring renewable energy and energy efficiency to the fore and displace fossil fuels in line with national circumstances, was watered down.
Unfortunately, renewable energy was bundled with costly technologies and “transitional fuels” that undermine the accelerated deployment of energy efficiency and renewables, the only widely acknowledged solutions to offset climate change impacts.
“The mention of transition fuels to facilitate the energy transition and ensure energy security is worrying, allowing countries to produce, export and use natural gas thereby dodging their responsibilities,” said Adib.
“Transitional fuels will lock developing countries in technologies that will soon be obsolete. Rich players should recognise developing nations´ right to clean and sustainable development by committing finance, infrastructure and technology transfer to allow countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East to transition directly to renewables. We have not learned from the recent energy crises. Energy security means moving away from dependence on a handful of fossil fuel producers to renewables. This needs to happen now,” Adib added.
The lack of commitment to provide finance to developing countries is also critical. Moreover, it is a missed opportunity to accelerate renewable energy deployment. Many developing countries aim to more than triple their renewable energy capacity to build resilient energy infrastructure, provide secure energy supply and drive economic development.
But it’s not all bad news. After 28 years of climate talks, the outcome text recognises that fossil fuels are the culprits and that we need to transition away from them in a “just, orderly and equitable manner” in line with the science. It is also historic that a COP decision finally acknowledges renewable energy and energy efficiency as the solution to the climate crisis by calling on countries to triple renewable capacity globally and double the global rate of energy efficiency by 2030.
REN21 members and partners also expressed mixed feelings around the outcome document, which was agreed to this morning.
“It is finally a very welcome call on phasing out fossil fuels by 2050. However, the way is riddled with loopholes. Nuclear and CCS are included. Unfortunately, the tripling and doubling objectives for renewables and energy efficiency lost their base years and invite governmental gaming. And sadly, through the greed of rich nations, there is no money agreed to assist poor countries in moving away from fossil fuels and scaling up renewables,” said Stephan Singer, Senior Climate Science and Global Energy Policy Advisor at Climate Action Network International.
Mohamed Adow, Director of Power Shift Africa, celebrated the signal ending the fossil fuel era but called out the omission of finance to fund the transition in developing countries.
“For the first time in three decades of climate negotiations the words “fossil fuels” have made it into a COP outcome. We are finally naming the elephant in the room. The genie is never going back into the bottle and future COPs will only turn the screws even more on dirty energy. Although we’re sending a strong signal, there are still too many loopholes on unproven and expensive technologies like carbon capture and storage which fossil fuel interests will try and use to keep dirty energy on life support. The transition may be fast, the text calls for a transition away from fossil fuels in this critical decade. But the transition is not funded or fair. We’re still missing enough finance to help developing countries decarbonise and there needs to be greater expectation on rich fossil fuel producers to phase out first,” Adow said.
“Some people may have had their expectations for this meeting raised too high, but this result would have been unheard of two years ago, especially at a COP meeting in a petrostate. It shows that even oil and gas producers can see we’re heading for a fossil free world,” Adow added.
Bruce Douglas, CEO, Global Renewables Alliance, said: “The inclusion of tripling renewables in the final COP28 text is unprecedented and signals the start of a massive clean energy revolution. It is the first time all nations have recognised renewable energy as the main solution to the climate crisis, representing a paradigm shift in the energy transition. However, the catastrophic failure to agree on the phaseout of fossil fuels will inevitably lock us into increased climate impacts and dramatically exposes the limits of the current COP decision making process. The rapid expansion of renewables this decade offers a once in a generation opportunity to help end the fossil fuel era.”
Chief Executive Office of the Global Solar Council, Sonia Dunlop, noted that economics will prevail over the loopholes and renewables will automatically push away polluting technologies mentioned in the text.
“A few years ago, a global renewables target would have been inconceivable. The fact that this is included in final COP text – in a historically oil and gas country – is an unequivocal signal that renewables are in, and fossil fuels are out. While there are still too many backdoors available for countries to continue business-as-usual with greenwashed technologies like gas and CCSU, the pure economics of the energy transition will prevail. It is thanks to the plummeting costs and innovation of solar and renewables that 1.5oC is still just within reach. Renewables are already replacing fossil fuels in countries across the world, and governments need to catch-up with their policy positions as we head to Baku for COP29,” Dunlop said.
For more information, contact:
Hala Kilani, REN21 Hala.kilani@ren21.net
WhatsApp: 009613567928
Jose Benito: jose.bonito@worldmediawire.com
