Will COP28 deliver a pledge to phase out fossil fuels?

At the halfway point of this year’s climate negotiations at COP28, the focus is still on the proposal that the world’s governments should commit to phasing out fossil fuels. Discussion on the best way forward is still going on; fossil fuels are responsible for the majority of human-induced climate change, and so the world has to stop using them. But as concerns over energy security continue, some say that the debate should not be around fossil fuels v renewables, but rather low-emissions v high-emissions. Is CCUS the technology that will enable continued use of fossil fuels, or is our only option a world powered by 100% renewable and nuclear energy?

To discuss this, and to analyze the biggest talking points of today’s talks, Ed is joined by Maria Mendiluce, CEO of the We Mean Business Coalition, which aims to mobilize and guide companies of all sizes on a path to net zero. Maria argues that a complete phase-out of fossil fuels is needed to get the world on course to limit global warming to 1.5 degees C. She wants the governments meeting at COP28 to agree on a commitment to achieve that. 

Kelly Sims Gallagher also joins the show. She’s the Dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and has been following these climate negotiations since she attended COP2 in 1996. She explains what she expects from this year’s talks and where she thinks COP28 will come out on the future of fossil fuels.

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