The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which hosted last year's COP28 climate summit, has called on governments to take decisive steps in transitioning away from fossil fuels, echoing the sentiments expressed during the intense negotiations of December, where countries committed to moving away from fossil fuels in the UAE Consensus document to mitigate the severe impacts of climate change.
“We must now turn an unprecedented agreement into unprecedented action and results,” stated Sultan Al Jaber, President of COP28, on Tuesday.
Al Jaber, who also heads the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, emphasized the need for countries to update their plans for tackling climate change, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), during a gathering at the Paris headquarters of the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The 2015 Paris Agreement, aimed at limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7F) above preindustrial levels, mandates countries to revise their NDCs every five years.
Earlier this month, the UAE announced plans to form a “troika” with Azerbaijan and Brazil, the hosts of the upcoming U.N. climate summits, to encourage nations to set ambitious emissions-reduction targets ahead of the 2025 deadline.
See also: IEA Critical Minerals Summit: Key Actions for Sustainable Supply Chains
“Everybody has to have a plan, and that is not where we are today,” remarked U.S. climate envoy John Kerry during the IEA roundtable event, where climate and energy leaders convened to discuss actions beyond COP28.
“In the end, there's no faking it in this next period of time,” Kerry emphasized.
Kerry, who has served as the U.S. climate envoy for three years, disclosed plans in January to step away from the role sometime this spring. However, he clarified on Tuesday that he was not retiring and intends to remain engaged in climate efforts, with a focus on finance.
