COP28: Oil Nations' Reluctance Threatens Climate Summit Progress
The draft agreement for COP28, the 2023 UN Climate Conference, has removed language calling for a phase-out of fossil fuels, leading to outrage from climate activists and the threat of nations walking away from the agreement. The removal of this language contradicts the demands of the European Union and developing nations advocating for more aggressive measures to address climate change. The presence of fossil fuel lobbyists at the conference and the appointment of the CEO of a major oil company as the conference head have raised concerns about the influence of oil-producing nations and corporations on the agreement. Former US Vice President Al Gore criticized the draft as being dictated by oil-producing nations and called for clear language on phasing out fossil fuels in the final text.