The European Commission and the UAE announced today, Wednesday, that they will seek to mobilize support for establishing global goals for the expansion of renewable energy use, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) set to take place this year in Dubai. The UAE's COP28 presidency and the European Commission stated in a joint statement that both parties "will work to secure maximum support from parties at COP28 for the 2030 global goals of doubling renewable energy." The statement added, "These goals will support the transition to energy systems free from fossil fuels without associated emissions reduction measures," such as carbon capture technology.
Negotiators from nearly 200 countries that signed the Paris Agreement in 2015 are set to meet in Bonn, Germany, this week for climate talks to prepare decisions for adoption at COP28. Sultan Al Jaber, the president of COP28 and head of the UAE's national oil company, urged nations last month to focus on phasing out fossil fuel emissions. This would allow countries to continue using fossil fuels but with the use of technology to capture the resulting emissions. Other countries seek a clear commitment to phase out oil, gas, and coal use. The Netherlands, Chile, New Zealand, and island nations threatened by climate change, including the Marshall Islands, stated in a joint message last month, "We must end the fossil fuel era and phase it out gradually."
