COP27 cover leaves out India's proposal of 'phasing down all fossil fuels'
Vibha Sharma
New Delhi, November 17
The first draft of the climate agreement from the COP27 climate summit, while repeating many of last year’s goals, appears to have left many contentious issues unresolved.
Labelled a “non-paper”, the 20-page document does not mention “phase down of all fossil fuels” as proposed by India, the European Union, and several other countries. The draft just repeats the goal from last year’s Glasgow Climate Pact “to accelerate measures towards the phase down of unabated coal power and phase out and rationalise inefficient fossil fuel subsidies”.
The initial text also does not include details on launching a fund to address loss and damage—a key demand by most climate vulnerable countries like island nations, though it “welcomes” that the topic was taken up as part of this year’s official agenda. Developing countries have demanded that the ongoing COP27 concludes with a decision to launch the fund to address loss and damage.
According to observers at the meeting, the draft “ballooned from two pages to 20” and includes a list of options. “It is far from a final version as there are still some hours of hard negotiations to go, including on the equity issue. However, there is no mention of gas and oil or India’s fossil fuel phase down language. Wealthy countries are being encouraged (not compelled) to increase support and align funding flows with 1.5°C. It welcomes the agenda item on loss and damage fund but does not scope out a deal,” they added.
Overall, the document “stresses the importance of exerting all efforts at all levels to achieve the Paris Agreement temperature goal of holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels”.
India had objected to singling out of any fossil fuel and proposed that the talks end with the decision to “phase down” of all fossil fuels and not just coal.
Meanwhile, developed countries are also said to be pushing for inclusion of language such as “major emitters and top emitters”, which is not acceptable to developing nations like India. Basically, they want that all top emitters, particularly the top 20 which includes countries like India and China, make intense emission cuts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and not just the developed nations which are historically responsible for climate change.
The cover does point that developed countries have failed to mitigate emissions based on their fair share and historical responsibility and says that they should attain net negative carbon emissions by 2030. Sources said “envoys from developed countries went as far as saying they don’t agree with the principles of the UN climate convention, equity and CBDR in particular”.
Meanwhile, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav posted that the progress on key issues has not been good due to the “divergence of views on some fundamental approaches to climate issues”.
Yadav also said without cumulative emissions in check, success with other environmental challenges, even if they are achieved, will not carry lasting value.
“India is committed to both domestic action and multilateral cooperation on climate change. We will continue to fight all global environmental concerns in the call to protect humanity’s planetary home. But global warming also warns us that equity and international cooperation, leaving no one behind, hold the key to success, where those most fortunate must lead the way.
“No nation can undertake this journey alone. Right understanding, right thought and co-operative action – these need to set our path for the next decisive half a century,” he said at a session on Accelerating Resilient Infrastructure in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
