What do the signatories of the Paris Agreement commit to?

It is difficult to summarize the 21 pages of the agreement reached last Wednesday at the COP28 in Dubai, a whole “exercise of diplomacy” to satisfy all the approximately 200 countries that participated in this climate summit. The negotiations focused on seeking a balance between the demands of the oil-producing countries (Saudi Arabia and its OPEC allies) and the commitment of more than 100 countries to go “further” and request that the final declaration proposes to phase out coal completely. , oil and gas.

These are the most important agreed commitments:

1). The Global Balance mentions the term for the first time in a written consensus at a climate summit “fossil fuels”, which according to scientific evidence is the largest cause of greenhouse gases. The text argues for it start a ‘transition away’ from coal, oil and gas, although he does not explicitly mention these last two. He points out that the path must be walked in an “orderly and fair” manner.

2). It recognizes “the need for deep, rapid and sustainable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions” to avoid exceeding the Paris Agreement threshold. Global warming is not can exceed 1.5 ºC compared to pre-industrial levels.

3) In this sense, it reiterates as objectives the reduction of CO2 emissions from the 43% for him 2030 (he calls this decade ‘critical’) and 60% by 2035, with a horizon in sight CO2 neutrality by 2050 (zero net emissions).

4). Similarly, there is a push to substantially reduce non-carbon dioxide emissions worldwide, including emissions from methaneby 2030.

5). Countries are called up triple the ability of renewable energy worldwide and double the global average annual rate of improvement energy efficiency by 2030.

6). It asks signatories to accelerate ‘low or zero emissions technologies’, including renewable energy sources, nuclear energy and that of carbon extraction and storageespecially in sectors that are difficult to decarbonise, as well as in their production low emission hydrogen.

7). Calls for accelerating the reduction emissions from road transport with measures such as the use of infrastructure and low or zero emission vehicles.

8). Finally: request to eliminate gradually and as quickly as possible “inefficient” fossil fuel subsidies that do not address energy poverty or just transitions.