Reacting to the final outcome at COP28, Joab Okanda, Christian Aid’s Senior Climate Advisor, said:
“It is clear that the era of fossil fuels is coming to a close. We may not have driven the nail into the coffin here at COP28 but the end is coming for dirty energy. But there is a gaping hole on finance to actually fund the transition from dirty to clean energy in developing countries. Without that, we risk the global shift being much slower.
“We now need to see rich countries following up their warm words about wanting a fossil fuel phase out with actions to actually bring it about and end their use of coal, oil and gas by the end of this decade.
“Rich fossil fuel using countries like the UK will need to decarbonise first, with middle income countries going next and then the poorest countries after that.
“There’s also a huge gap in terms of funding to help vulnerable communities adapt to climate change. The issue of climate finance in general will now need to be the major focus at the next meeting in Baku in Azerbaijan next year.
“The desperate attempts of fossil fuel interests to prevent a stronger outcome in Dubai has revealed just how worried they are about the coming decarbonisation of the global economy.”
