France seeks stronger EU stance on fossil fuel exit at COP28

(26 Sep 2023) The European Union should publicly set out dates by which planet-warming oil, gas and coal should be phased out, in a bid to push for a global deal on eliminating fossil fuels at the upcoming COP28 UN climate summit, France has said.

Diplomats from the EU’s 27 member-states are drafting their negotiating stance for COP28. At the summit, which starts in November in Dubai, nearly 200 countries will try to strengthen efforts to curb climate change.

“The EU should adopt a much stronger and clearer narrative on the exit from fossil fuel demand, with a quantified trajectory and an exit date for each fossil energy, based on science,” said France, in a document shared with other EU countries and seen by Reuters.

Setting out a timeline “would increase the pressure on countries that are reluctant to agree on a phase-out of fossil fuels,” said the document, citing measures already agreed by the EU and others that will curb oil consumption – including by fixing dates to end new sales of petrol cars.

Carbon capture

In a report this month on global efforts to curb climate change, the United Nations said “phasing out all unabated fossil fuels” was required to reach net zero emissions and avoid far more severe climate change.

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, 26 Sep 2023: France seeks stronger EU stance on fossil fuel exit at COP28