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After over 2 weeks of local weather negotiations, the twenty eighth UN Local weather Summit, COP28, has wrapped up in Dubai.
As world leaders and delegates negotiated on keep on monitor to restrict world warming to 1.5 levels, 2023 was confirmed as the most well liked yr on report. And regardless of this apparent alarm bell, leaders nonetheless couldn’t agree on a definitive phaseout of fossil fuels.
Lots occurred at COP28 – right here’s a rundown:
1. Launch of the Loss and Injury Fund
The great: The Loss and Injury Fund is lastly operational.
The unhealthy: Pledges fall in need of what’s really wanted by climate-vulnerable international locations.
Championed by Pasifika leaders, the fund allocates cash to assist creating international locations address the impacts from the continued local weather disaster. Although the fund was first introduced at COP27 final yr, plenty of the funding preparations have been left up within the air. At COP28, rich nations answerable for local weather change pledged a complete of $700 million to the fund. Although it’s a great begin, it’s nonetheless a drop within the ocean of what Pacific Island communities really must cowl the prices of desperately wanted local weather adaptation and mitigation measures. Australia dedicated a pitiable $150 million to local weather funding for the Pacific – a far cry from our fair proportion of $4 billion yearly.
2. Australia indicators Glasgow Assertion
The great: Australia indicators the Glasgow Assertion.
The unhealthy: It’s nonetheless unclear whether or not this may translate into much-needed motion at dwelling.
The Glasgow Assertion is a joint settlement to finish worldwide public finance for fossil gasoline initiatives. From 2016 to 2021, Australia funnelled $828 million in taxpayers cash to abroad fossil gasoline initiatives. Signing on to the Glasgow Assertion means Australia will now not finance worldwide fossil gasoline initiatives – a constructive step that may assist shift billions of {dollars} away from a polluting fossil gasoline business to scrub renewables.
However home initiatives should not a part of the settlement. The most important fossil gasoline venture in Australia up for Federal approval – Woodside’s monstrous Burrup Hub gasoline venture – would launch 6.1 billion tonnes of CO2 into the ambiance if it goes forward. This venture is grossly incompatible with our internet zero emissions targets, and would trigger additional local weather hurt to our Pasifika household.
3. World Stocktake
The great: There’s extra consciousness and unanimity round how off monitor we’re from assembly the 1.5C purpose
The unhealthy: We’re method off beam from reaching the 1.5C purpose
The disappointing:
The World Stocktake is sort of a local weather report card for international locations, assessing how effectively they’re doing to achieve their nationwide emissions targets and restrict world temperatures to 1.5C. COP28 made it undeniably clear simply how severely off monitor we’re from reaching that purpose, serving to to construct consensus across the want for much more formidable motion, with minister Bowen saying that limiting world heating to 1.5C isn’t ‘up for compromise’. However, the horrifying actuality remains to be how off beam we’re from assembly the 1.5C purpose, and the way rapidly that window is closing.
The commitments constituted of this yr’s COP and the actions taken after are crucial, particularly in assembly the 1.5C purpose. For Pacific leaders and communities already on the frontlines of the local weather disaster, 1.5C isn’t only a goal, it’s a matter of ‘life or loss of life’.
What’s subsequent? The place will we go from right here?
After almost 30 years of those local weather change conferences, fossil fuels have lastly been talked about within the ultimate textual content, however leaders fell in need of calling for a phaseout, and the mandatory finance required for creating nations to transition to scrub power.
After persistently calling for sturdy local weather motion and repeatedly sharing their tales of climate-induced trauma at these conferences, our Pasifika household deserved extra.
It’s necessary to recollect the human faces of the local weather disaster, and what COP28 will imply for his or her lives – their houses, their cultures, languages, their very survival. With COP28 over, we’re armed with a brand new guidelines of commitments to carry our leaders accountable. We now have a duty to maintain the strain up, and ensure they comply with by way of on these guarantees.
There’s sturdy urge for food for Australia to co-host COP31 with the Pacific. But Australia is the third largest exporter of fossil fuels – exports that trigger immeasurable local weather hurt to the Pacific. If we wish to be critical about internet hosting the UN Local weather Convention in 2026, and reset our fame as a pacesetter in local weather motion – the Australian authorities should say no to all new fossil fuels.
Signal our petition now.
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