COP28 president says fossil fuels phasedown is inevitable

COP28 president says fossil fuels phasedown is inevitable

BERLIN - The phasedown of fossil fuels is inevitable, the United Arab Emirates' incoming COP28 president said on Thursday, in stronger remarks than previous comments where he called for the scaling down of fossil fuel emissions rather than the fuels themselves.

Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, who also runs the UAE's state oil giant, has been criticized by climate activists for what they saw as a soft stance on fossil fuel, calling for the tackling of their emissions rather than cutting their use.

That could allow countries to keep using fossil fuels, while using technologies to capture the CO2 emissions that result from burning them.

"The phasedown of fossil fuels is inevitable. The speed at which this happens depends on how quickly we can phase up zero carbon alternatives, while ensuring energy security, accessibility and affordability," he said at an event on the sidelines of the UN climate talks in Bonn.

Alden Meyer, senior associate at climate think tank E3G, said the acknowledgement of the need to phase down fossil fuels was a useful first step; but al-Jaber needed to recognise the pace at which that needs to happen.

"He needs to commit to reaching agreement at COP28 on a plan for how to deliver those emissions