Despite warnings from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) that there is an 80 percent chance the annual average global temperature will temporarily exceed 1.5°C at least once in the next five years, the resolve to phase out fossil fuels remains conspicuously absent at the Bonn Climate Change Conference.
We are at a critical juncture in our climate reality that is evident by the severity of climate change impacts. Greenpeace presents party delegates in Bonn with a clear choice: commit to phasing out fossil fuels in line with 1.5°C-aligned Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) or face a future plagued by climate chaos and destruction.
Delegates appear to be overlooking the crucial link between the Global Stocktake (GST) and NDCs. Greenpeace urges the delegates to respond to the COP28 decision to transition away from fossil fuels with heightened ambition.
At 12:30 CET, in the hallway outside the Chamber Hall, delegates arriving for the Troika session will be confronted with a choice: pursue a 1.5°C pathway or continue on a path leading to escalating climate impacts.
Tracy Carty, Head of Delegation for Greenpeace International, stated that the fossil fuel industry’s excessive profits are funding the deadly floods, fires, and storms increasingly witnessed around the world. According to Tracy, instead of jeopardizing our future, polluters must be held accountable for the destruction and harm their products cause.
The devastation observed in the six months since COP28, with floods ravaging both Dubai and Brazil—two members of the Troika of Presidencies—vividly illustrates that the ‘Roadmap to Mission 1.5°C’ is in everyone’s interest.
Evident is a disconnect between worsening climate impacts and the necessity to phase out the fossil fuels era was painfully evident at the Bonn Climate Conference last week, as countries stalled progress on delivering a new climate finance package, Greenpeace International noted.
Tracy Carty emphasized that financial resources are available, but there is a lack of governmental will. She stressed that the new climate package, the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), must deliver climate justice without burdening the costs of climate change onto those least responsible for causing it.
“Divisions over unlocking finance and the required amount fail to acknowledge the desperate need for financial support in developing countries facing the onslaught of this crisis. Trillions, not billions, of dollars are needed, and urgent work in Bonn is essential to deliver a successful finance package at COP29,” said Tracy.
Shady Khalil, Greenpeace MENA Campaign Lead, remarked that the COP28 Global Stocktake outcome set an unprecedented call for transitioning to clean energy and strategically embracing the phase out of fossil fuels.
He added that it is high time NDCs reflect this ambition, protect it, and deliver on it to ensure the 1.5°C target remains our guiding star, as COP28 President Dr. Sultan Al-Jaber has reiterated many times.
“The UAE, as the current COP presidency, must safeguard their outcome, and Azerbaijan needs to support and build on it, not deviate from it. This means reducing, not increasing, investments in coal, oil, and gas. Azerbaijan’s planned investments in fossil fuels send the wrong signal to the world. A genuine commitment to deliver the required scale of ambition is crucial for the success of COP29, and nothing less will suffice,” added Shady.
