Global discord threatens COP28 climate talks, EU commissioner says
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Geopolitics is making it harder than ever for the world to reach a deal on climate crisis, Climate Action Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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ABU DHABI – The need for agreement to tackle global warming is “higher than ever”, but reaching a deal has never been harder as the geopolitical backdrop complicates international cooperation, the European Union’s climate chief said on Monday, ahead of the COP28 summit.
Climate action commissioner Wopke Hoekstra also said the EU would not accept an outcome at COP28 that reached deals only on less contentious topics such as increased use of renewable energy, if it failed to solve tougher issues such as phasing out fossil fuels.
“This is not an a la carte menu. It is actually all that is on the menu that needs to be delivered on,” he told Reuters on the sidelines of a preliminary COP28 gathering in Abu Dhabi, ahead of the UN summit starting at the end of November.
The challenge of getting countries to agree is all the greater as Israel has escalated its bombardment of Gaza,
Geopolitically “very challenging times” make agreement on the climate harder than ever, but the need is “higher than ever”, Mr Hoekstra said.
Scientists have blamed global warming, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, for extreme weather in 2023, which is on track to be the hottest on record.
Israel has so far rejected international calls for a temporary pause
Tensions have also risen between Europe and China, as Brussels investigates whether to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports
China’s ambassador to the EU criticised the bloc’s actions as “unjustified and regrettable”, cautioning last week against political confrontations jeopardising climate cooperation.
“Global climate governance does not happen in a vacuum. One should not seek political confrontation on the one hand, and expect unconditional cooperation on the other,” Mr Fu Cong said. REUTERS
