An agreement by countries to phase out fossil fuels would be “one of the most significant events in human history”, Al Gore has said amid government wrangling at COP28.
It would be a “welcome surprise” if world leaders at the climate talks agreed to call for an end to fossil fuels, but such a declaration would have an “enormous impact” on the world, Gore told the Guardian at the meeting in the United Arab Emirates.
“If there were a decision here to surprise the world and say, ‘OK, we get it now, we’ve made enough money, we’re going to get on with what needs to be done to give young people a sense of hope again and to stop as much suffering as possible and start phasing out fossil fuels’, it would be one of the most significant events in human history,” the former US vice-president said.
Gore, now a prominent advocate for action on the climate crisis, welcomed the establishment of a loss and damage fund for developing countries hit hardest by heatwaves, droughts, floods and other disasters, but added that the amount of money pledged by rich countries was a “pittance” and that the crucial element at the Dubai meeting would be an agreement to phase out fossil fuels.
“There is only one measure of success for Cop28: whether or not it includes a commitment to phase out fossil fuels,” he said. “If it includes such a commitment, it will be a resounding success; if it does not, it will be a failure.”
More than half of the 200 countries represented at Cop28 have signalled they would support language in the agreement that mentions a phase-out of fossil fuels. John Kerry, the US climate envoy, has said it is “hard for anybody to understand” why the main driver of the climate crisis should be allowed to continue, while António Guterres, the UN secretary-general, on Friday urged leaders to unequivocally commit to phasing out oil, coal and gas. “Not reduce. Not mitigate. Phase out,” Guterres said.
But the consensus format of these UN summits means that countries must all agree to the text of any agreement, and it is understood that countries such as Russia, China and Saudi Arabia are uncomfortable with a pact that would call time on fossil fuels.
Oil companies, many of which are reporting record profits, are planning major expansions in drilling, including Adnoc, the national oil company of the United Arab Emirates, headed by Sultan Al Jaber, who is also president of COP28. Al Jaber has vehemently denied accusations that he is using the climate summit as a means of promoting oil and gas deals for Adnoc.
But Gore said Adnoc was “one of the dirtiest companies, it’s one of the least responsible companies” and that Al Jaber’s appointment to head Cop28 was damaging.
“They’ve made a mistake, let’s be honest, in putting a CEO of a fossil fuel company in charge of this Cop28,” he said. “I mean, it’s absurd. It’s completely ridiculous.”