Recognition of climate crisis is historic, he reckons – but environmental campaigning groups disagree

Commenting on the conclusion of the COP28 summit in Dubai, Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf said: “I welcome the news that an agreement has been reached at COP28, notably, the $700 million committed to address loss and damage and the pledge to transition away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner.

“This recognition that the climate crisis is a fossil fuel crisis is historic. It is disappointing that there was not a stronger resolution committing to the phase-out of all unabated fossil fuels, however we must all now work together to turn these words into action and to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees.  

“The agreement on loss and damage represents a significant step forward in the fight for global climate justice. We must, however, recognise that this sum is only a fraction of what will be needed to address the irreversible economic and non-economic losses which are being suffered by developing countries every year.

“We are at a pivotal moment in the fight to tackle the climate emergency and address the devastating effects of climate change – and Scotland will continue to play our part. 

“It is absolutely crucial that we have political consensus on climate change – both at home and abroad – and that we work together to make a constructive contribution to addressing this monumental challenge.”

COP28: Weak climate deal slammed

Self-interest, weak leadership and a lack of urgency

Responding to the conclusion of the COP28 climate conference in Dubai, Friends of the Earth’s international climate campaigner, Rachel Kennerley – who has been attending the talks – said: “Self-interest, weak leadership and a lack of urgency by wealthy countries like the UK, Japan and US and the EU bloc, has resulted in a desperately inadequate COP28 resolution that leaves the world on a collision course with the worst of climate breakdown.  

“These talks will never achieve the breakthrough we need until the rich countries that have contributed most to the climate crisis, including the UK, face up to their responsibilities by phasing out the use of fossil fuels fairly and fast and by providing adequate funding for poorer nations.

“Rishi Sunak may like to claim that the UK is showing global leadership on this issue, but under his premiership key climate policies have been watered down, his international promise to cut UK emissions by a third has veered dangerously off course and he has declared an ambition to ‘max out’ North Sea gas and oil.

“We urgently need our leaders to seize the huge opportunities growing a green economy would bring, from new, long-term jobs and lower energy bills, to improving our health and wellbeing, as well as protecting the planet for future generations.”

Greenpeace: COP28 sends the signal the fossil fuel industry has been afraid of

The final outcome of the COP28 climate summit in Dubai is not the historical deal the world needs, but it does send the signal the fossil fuel industry has been afraid of: the fossil fuel era is ending.

In response to the final COP28 outcome, Kaisa Kosonen, Senior Political Advisor at Greenpeace International said: “The signal that the fossil industry has been afraid of is there: ending the fossil fuel era, along with a call to massively scale up renewables and efficiency this decade, but it’s buried under many dangerous distractions and without sufficient means to achieve it in a fair and fast manner.

“You won’t find the words ‘phase out’ in the text, but that’s what the equitable transition away from fossil fuels in line with 1.5°C and science will necessitate, when implemented sustainably. And that’s what we’re determined to make happen, now more than ever.

“The outcome leaves poorer countries well short of the resources they will need for renewable energy transition and other needs. For the many goals of the agreement to be realised, rich countries will need to significantly step up financial support and make fossil fuel polluters pay. Only last year the fossil fuel industry made $4 trillion in profits, and they need to start paying for the harm and destruction they have caused.

“This is not the historical deal that the world needed: It  has many loopholes and shortcomings. But history will be made if all those nearly 130 countries, businesses, local leaders and civil society voices, who came together to form an unprecedented force for change, now take this determination and make the fossil fuel phase out happen. Most urgently that means stopping all those expansion plans that are pushing us over the 1.5°C limit right now.”

Ghiwa Nakat, Executive Director, Greenpeace Middle East & North Africa, said: “COP28 has sent an unprecedented signal to the world that the starting gun has been fired for the end of the fossil fuel era.

“We commend the efforts of the COP presidency to conclude with a final acknowledgement of the need to transition away from fossil fuels and to mobilise climate finance with more than $700million pledged to the operationalised Loss and Damage Fund.

“But communities on the frontline of the climate catastrophe need more than this. They need to see an unwavering and resolute commitment to a rapid, equitable, and well-funded phaseout of all fossil fuels – together with a comprehensive finance package for developing countries to transition to renewables and cope with escalating climate impacts.

“We leave Dubai knowing that hope is still alive but our mission is far from over!”

Mike Robinson, chair of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland said: “It is hard to feel any excitement about this outcome, and given these talks were hosted by the head of an oil company, many people will be completely unsurprised that the final outcome fails to give any sense of urgency and ignores what the science has been telling us for decades – ‘cop-ping out’ of delivering a long overdue agreement to urgently phase out from the coal, oil and gas that is fuelling the crisis. 

“This failure means the world remains on track for catastrophic levels of heating and the debt owed to countries who did least to cause the crisis to help them to cope and recover from extreme climate impacts will only increase. 

“The onus is now on individual countries to do what is so urgently needed, and channel their efforts into delivering progress, rather than impeding the necessary change. The UK Government must cancel the new oil and gas licensing round. At the same time, the Scottish Government must clearly and strongly oppose new oil development, and say no to new gas at Peterhead, while swiftly delivering a robust new climate plan that gets us on track to meeting and exceeding our climate targets through a just transition that is fairly funded by making the biggest polluters pay for their damage.”

“This failure means the world remains on track for catastrophic levels of heating and the debt owed to countries who did least to cause the crisis to help them to cope and recover from extreme climate impacts will only increase. 

“The onus is now on individual countries to do what is so urgently needed, and channel their efforts into delivering progress, rather than impeding the necessary change. The UK Government must cancel the new oil and gas licensing round. At the same time, the Scottish Government must clearly and strongly oppose new oil development, and say no to new gas at Peterhead, while swiftly delivering a robust new climate plan that gets us on track to meeting and exceeding our climate targets through a just transition that is fairly funded by making the biggest polluters pay for their damage.”

Fr Leonard Chiti, Jesuit Provincial for Southern Africa and part of the SCIAF delegation at COP28 said: “COP28 has sent a clear signal that the fossil fuel era is coming to an end and that every nation must now redouble their efforts to reduce emissions in line with the 1.5C temperature goal.

“However, it simply has not gone far enough; not urgent enough, not ambitious enough. At the start of COP28, Pope Francis and many others called for the elimination of fossil fuels. This final text does not secure that, and we must now re-double our efforts towards a fossil fuel free future.”