COP28 summit calls for ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels

Subject : Environment

Section: Int Conventions

Context:

COP28 in Dubai UAE adopted the ‘Dubai Consensus’ to transition away from fossil fuels.

Dubai Consensus:

It calls on Parties [to be] …Transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.
This implies cutting emissions to 43% of 2019 levels by 2030 and 60% by 2035.
It for the first time mentions methane emission, a non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gas that is more potent, in its heat-trapping effect, than carbon dioxide.
It does not talk about curbing Natural Gas, designating it as a “transition gas” that could be relied on during countries’ transition to renewable energy.

Carbon Space:

It refers to the atmosphere’s capacity to hold carbon that will not result in temperatures increasing by 1.5 to 2 degrees C by the end of the century.
The globe is already 1.1 C hotter than it was in the pre-industrialised level.
Most of this carbon space has already been taken over by the developed nations in over a century of fossil fuel and greenhouse gas emissions, and developing nations have insisted that what space remains ought to be left for them, while the industrialised western nations must cede space by taking on far more stringent reductions than they have committed to so far.

India’s stand:

Developing countries accounted for 3% of greenhouse gases emitted historically (1850-2019) compared to the United States (25%) and the European Union (17%).
India is the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter.
India at the Glasgow COP in 2021, agreed to a ‘phase-down’ of coal use.
Nearly 75% of India’s methane emissions are from the agricultural sector.