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Reuters

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged world leaders at the Cop28 climate summit to plan for a future without fossil fuels, saying there was no other way to curb global warming.
Speaking a day after Cop28 president Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber proposed embracing the continued use of fossil fuels, Guterres said: “We cannot save a burning planet with a fire hose of fossil fuels.”
“The 1.5-degree [Celsius] limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels. Not reduce. Not abate,” he said, referring to nascent technologies to capture and store carbon emissions.
The competing visions summed up the most divisive issue facing world leaders at this year’s UN climate summit in the oil-producing United Arab Emirates.




King Charles III of Britain pleaded with world leaders to make progress in the global climate agenda.
“Scientists have been warning for so long, we are seeing alarming tipping points being reached,” he said.
“Unless we rapidly repair and restore nature’s economy, based on harmony and balance, which is our ultimate sustainer, our own economy and survivability will be imperilled,” said the king, who has spent most of his adult life campaigning for the environment.
The comments from Charles, whose role as Britain’s head of state is largely ceremonial, appeared to be at odds with his government.
Could Asia boost its climate change fight with biodiversity credits?
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was expected at Cop28 on Friday to announce £1.6 billion (US$2.02 billion) in climate finance, has rolled back several domestic measures set by previous governments to help the country meet its 2050 net-zero targets.
Later on Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared to admonish wealthy countries for their role in releasing the most climate-warming emissions since the Industrial Revolution.
“We do not have much time to correct the mistakes of the last century,” Modi said. “Over the past century, a small section of humanity has indiscriminately exploited nature.
“However, the entire humanity is paying the price for this, especially people living in the global south.”


A former Marshall Islands president, whose country faces inundation from climate-driven sea level rise, resigned from the main Cop28 advisory board on Friday in objection to the UAE’s support of continued use of fossil fuels.
Hilda Heine said in her resignation letter that she was “deeply disappointed” that the UAE had reportedly used its Cop28 role to broker oil and gas deals. The UAE has strongly denied the accusations.
“These actions undermine the integrity of the COP presidency and the process as a whole,” she wrote, adding that restoring trust meant delivering “an outcome that demonstrates that you are committed to phasing out fossil fuels”.
The UAE’s Cop28 presidency said it was “extremely disappointed” by Heine’s resignation.
Cop28: UAE establishes US$30 billion fund to bridge climate finance gap
“We have been completely clear, open, and honest throughout this process, and it is a shame to see unverified reporting affect our team and undermine the world’s best chance to keep 1.5 within reach,” the statement said.
Away from the main stage, delegations and technical committees set to work on Friday on the mammoth task of assessing their progress in meeting global climate targets, specifically the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to within 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), above pre-industrial temperatures.
Scientists say that a global temperature rise beyond this threshold will unleash catastrophic and irreversible impacts worldwide.

The United Nations on Friday published its first draft for what could serve as a template for a final agreement from the Cop28 summit, which ends December 12.
The draft offers “building blocks” for a political outcome and includes several options to address the central problem of whether, and to what extent, fossil fuels should play a role in the future.
One of the options involves including commitments to phase down or phase out the use of fossil fuels, to quit coal energy and to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030.
Also on the table for discussion is whether to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, which totalled some US$7 trillion last year, and whether to include provisions for carbon capture and removal technology.
On Thursday, the UAE’s Jaber urged countries to work together with oil companies to reach common ground.
The summit also clinched an early victory by adopting a new fund to help poor nations cope with climate disasters.


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Climate change

Cop28 president, UN chief clash over future of fossil fuels: ‘entire humanity paying the price’

Attendees watch a broadcast of Cop28 president Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber. Cop28 president Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber proposed embracing the continued use of fossil fuels. Photo: Bloomberg

Britain’s King Charles III walks through the opening at the Cop28 summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Photo: AP

Can Cop28 elbow out fossil fuels amid ‘aggressive’ plan to triple renewable energy by end of decade?

A man walks past a “#COP28” sign in Abu Dhabi. Over 60 countries have already agreed to back the deal, spearheaded by the European Union, United States and United Arab Emirates, to triple renewable energy this decade ahead of the summit. Photo: Reuters

Solar panels in Dubai. Climate activists say increasing renewable energy will not automatically push out fossil fuels that are the biggest contributor to global warming. Photo: AP

A woman cools down with a water spout amid a heatwave in Rio de Janeiro. The impact of record-breaking heatwaves and climate-induced disasters are becoming hard to ignore. Photo: Reuters

More attention at COP28 urged for ‘vulnerable’ mountain range spanning Nepal, China, India

Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD. Photo: Bibek Bhandari

A child swims through a flooded street after Yamuna River overflowed due to monsoon rains in New Delhi. From record-breaking heatwaves to floods and landslides, the Hindu Kush Himalaya region has witnessed some of the worst climate-related disasters in recent memory. Photo: AFP

The western Himalayas in Nepal. Known as the “pulse of the planet”, the Hindu Kush Himalaya region spans 3,500km (2,175 miles) across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. Photo: Shutterstock

Pema Gyamtsho, director general of Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. Photo: Bibek Bhandari

People in India’s New Delhi row a boat past a flooded street after the Yamuna River overflowed from monsoon rains. Photo: AFP

Why Asia needs to reduce oil dependency – but how to fund clean energy transition?

Oil pumps in Russia. File photo: Reuters

Solar panels in Jorhat, India. Photo: AP

A storage facility for oil in India. File photo: Reuters

G20 declaration fails to address climate change challenges ahead of key UN conference

India’s PM Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden (center), and other leaders on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi on Sunday. Photo: TNS 

Heavy pollution at a garbage dump in New Delhi. Analysts say more firm steps are required to help developing countries cope with the impact of climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Photo: AP

News

World

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres pushed for a future without fossil fuels while Cop28 president Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber urged their continued use
The UK’s King Charles also pleaded with world leaders to make progress in the global climate agenda


UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres pushed for a future without fossil fuels while Cop28 president Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber urged the continued use of fossil fuels.


Cop28 president, UN chief clash over future of fossil fuels: ‘entire humanity paying the price’

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres pushed for a future without fossil fuels while Cop28 president Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber urged their continued use The UK’s King Charles also pleaded with world leaders to make progress in the global climate agenda

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres pushed for a future without fossil fuels while Cop28 president Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber urged their continued use

The UK’s King Charles also pleaded with world leaders to make progress in the global climate agenda