The COP28 President, Sultan Al Jaber, who is also the CEO of the state-owned oil company of the United Arab Emirates, Adnoc, referred to the COP28 outcome as a “historic turning point” in the global effort to address the climate crisis.
“Although we didn’t end the fossil fuel era in Dubai, these results mark the beginning of the end,” he stated in his closing speech.
“Now, all governments and businesses need to turn these promises into real outcomes without delay.”
However, not all parties are satisfied with the GST agreement. Some countries, environmental groups, and climate activists criticize the agreement for not being strong and definitive enough in demanding an end to fossil fuel use.
They emphasize that terms like “phase-down” or “phase-out” are not sufficient to depict the urgency and need to end the fossil fuel era.
One of the staunchest critics is the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, who had previously called for the cessation of coal, oil, and gas usage.
In a statement, he mentioned that the GST agreement “falls short of expectations” and “does not reflect the urgency needed by science and by people worldwide suffering the impacts of climate change.”
