Following two weeks of extensive talks in Dubai, almost 200 countries united to reach an important global climate accord, vowing to transition away from combustible fuels. This agreement was sealed late Wednesday night, signalling the close of COP28, the planet’s premier multilateral climate policy summit. Dubai played host to this significant event, allowing the United Arab Emirates to affirm their standing as a world political and commercial player. Experts on global warming and those responsible for making decisions peculiarly worried that convening the summit in an oil-producing country could render it completely pointless. Nevertheless, the conference finished with everybody in agreement to halt combustion of petroleum, gas, and coal at a later date. Deliberations had been at a standstill for most of the past seven days due to some serious disagreement concerning the advice saying for an utter “abolition” of fossil fuels. European front line states and numerous small countries in danger from global warming, including those in the Pacific, were strongly in favor of the deal put forth, while the expanding mercantile emerging economies such as Saudi Arabia and India objected to it intensely. In the end, however, an agreement was ratified, in which the abridging of fossil fuel utilization this decade, in a “justifiable, well-ordered, and equitable path”, was compulsory, and the obligation of all countries to finish off carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 was recorded. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s energy secretary, said in an after-meeting telecast debate that the last resolution did not make it compulsory for countries to necessarily phaseout, thus “rendering space for states to pick their own course”. “
Salman affirmed that Saudi Arabian oil exports would not be hindered. Saudi Arabia took a major role at the summit, arguing against limitations on the oils, instead opting to emphasize blocking emissions through the utilization of carbon capture technologies. Experts have come to the consensus that, while such technological advancements have not yet been utilized to their full potential, something is in progress. At the conclusion of the event, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber gave his approval of the agreement, remarking that this unprecedented collective agreement signifies the start of this journey. We have come together to face the truth and guide the world on a better path. We created an extensive plan of action to ensure we can stay under 1.5.
