EU Prepares To Push For ‘Global Phase-Out’ of Fossil Fuels at COP28, Draft Document Shows

A proposal to phase out CO2-emitting fossil fuels at COP27 last won backing from more than 80 countries but oil and gas-rich nations opposed it. European Union countries are preparing to push for a global deal on phasing out fossil fuels at the COP28 climate summit, a draft of the EU’s negotiating position has shown. Diplomats from the bloc’s 27 member states are drafting their position for the summit in Dubai in November, where nearly 200 countries will try to strengthen efforts to rein in climate change. “The shift towards a climate neutral economy will require the global phase-out of [unabated] fossil fuels and a peak in their consumption already in the near term,” a draft of the EU’s negotiating stance, seen by Reuters, says.

Countries have never agreed in UN climate negotiations to gradually stop burning all CO2-emitting fossil fuels, despite this being the main cause of climate change. “Unabated” refers to fossil fuels burned without using technologies to capture the resulting CO2 emissions. The word was in brackets in the draft EU text, indicating that countries have not yet agreed on whether to include it. EU diplomats hope a deal can be made at COP28 – but expect to meet resistance from economies reliant on income from selling oil and gas.