COP breaks the jinx with fossil fuel deal

200 countries ink a new climate pact

- AMITABH SINHA

IN A FIRST, NATIONS AGREE TO A TRANSITION PLAN

REPRESENTATIVES FROM NEARLY 200 countries at COP28 meeting in Dubai struck a new climate deal on Wednesday that, for the first time, called upon them to transition away from fossil fuels and operationalised a loss-and-damage fund to help developing nations recover from climate disasters.

The countries agreed to contribute towards tripling global renewable energy capacity and doubling the current annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030, two measures considered key to keeping alive hopes of restricting temperature rise to within 1.5 degree Celsius. They also agreed to accelerate the deployment of "zero and low-emission technologies" like renewables, nuclear, and carbon capture and storage.

An earlier provision that asked countries not to allow the launch of new coal-fired power plants without carbon capture and storage technology was dropped from the final agreement. This provision was considered problematic by India, South Africa, China and many other countries. The agreement only asks countries to "accelerate efforts" towards a phase-down of "unabated coal power", in a reiteration of what was agreed in Glasgow two years ago.

A tougher language on fossil fuels, calling for its "phase-out", that had stalled negotiations for several days, could not be agreed upon and had to be changed.