Elevating the Debate: Provocative Drafts and Common Ground
During the two-week summit, the UAE presidency of COP28 employed a deliberate strategy, issuing provocative drafts to push negotiators to reveal their positions and seek convergence.
The top envoys from the United States and China, utilizing their longstanding personal relationship, played a crucial role in persuading OPEC leaders to support the transition away from fossil fuels.
The comprehensive details of the UAE’s strategy and the involvement of the US and China in securing the deal have not been previously disclosed.
The outcome of the conference was an accord that marked the first time in history that countries expressed a unified desire to move away from oil, gas, and coal.
While allowing for the transition away from fossil fuels, the deal also provided an option for mitigating the climate impact of existing oil, gas, and coal through technologies like carbon capture and sequestration.
A Victory for Multilateralism: Global Recognition
The agreement received recognition from influential figures.
U.S. Special Climate Envoy John Kerry hailed it as a triumph for multilateralism, while the UAE’s COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber described it as “historic.”
The accord faced criticism for potential loopholes allowing continued fossil-fuel use, although these concerns did not obstruct its passage.
Prior to the conference, Al Jaber, who also leads the UAE’s state oil company ADNOC, faced skepticism as host of a climate negotiation from environmental activists.
However, he was determined to avoid the conference’s failure.
Al Jaber’s office released press releases highlighting international commitments to renewable energy and climate cooperation between the United States and China, demonstrating support for climate action.
Many countries attending the summit contested the need for a final deal to unequivocally “phase out” fossil fuels.
Recognizing this, Al Jaber implemented a thought-provoking approach.
He presented negotiators with a range of options, emphasizing the urgent need to address fossil fuels.
A unique tactic was adopted, with negotiators sitting face-to-face in a circle, enabling a comprehensive exploration of positions.
The COP28 presidency held extensive meetings, often well into the early-morning hours, aiming for the best possible deal.
An updated draft agreement was released on December 13, a day after the scheduled end of the summit, leveraging time pressure to achieve the final breakthrough.
Finding Alternative Words: A Path to Consensus
The term “phase out” emerged as a significant red line during the negotiations.
To overcome this hurdle, U.S. Special Climate Envoy John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua devised an alternative approach.
Building on their recent climate cooperation agreement, which emphasized the accelerated substitution of fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, they focused on describing the ongoing global transition to a greener economy.
Once Kerry and Xie reached a consensus, the attention shifted to securing OPEC’s support.
Several meetings were held to engage OPEC, ultimately resulting in the inclusion of carbon capture in the final accord.
This compromise recognized OPEC’s concerns and emphasized cutting emissions without exclusively targeting specific fuels.
Saudi Arabia’s energy minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, voiced support for the accord, highlighting the flexibility given to countries to determine their transition pathways to cleaner energy sources.
The challenging negotiations ultimately demonstrated that doing the right thing became the only viable option, paving the way for the COP28 summit’s historic success.