The climate summit witnessed attempts to broker oil and gas deals, with Sultan Al-Jawbar expressing skepticism about the need to phase out fossil fuels for restricting global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Despite criticism, his diplomatic role was considered crucial for brokering an agreement within a diverse group of players. The disappointment stemmed from the lack of stringent goals for climate adaptation and insufficient encouragement for richer nations to provide climate finance to poorer ones. However, the strong fossil fuel language in the agreement, emphasizing a just and orderly transition away from fossil fuels, action acceleration, and achieving net zero by 2050, was seen as a pivotal factor shaping the narrative of summit success.
Semafor’s Tim McDonnell says what made COP28 successful was the same thing that made climate activists skeptical about the conference: its host was an oil executive.
This episode was produced by Victoria Chamberlin and Isabel Angell, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by David Herman, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.
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