Story by Memory Chamisa
THE United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference (COP28) has ended in the United Arab Emirates, with a historic deal on a just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy having been sealed.
It took until the last day of the conference for climate negotiators to finally agree on a deal that should see nations transitioning away from using fossil fuels.
The deal however faced a lot of opposition from a coalition of oil exporters and developing countries.
Zimbabwe’s Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Professor Prosper Matondi highlighted the outcome of the Climate conference, which he describes as a small but key step towards climate action.
“The COP28 announcement is a welcome step forward in that it mentions fossil fuels for the first time, but it is a small step when we should be taking giant strides at speed to keep to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The UN’s Conference of the Parties meetings, after all, are intended to change the trajectory of the global economy for years to come, to reduce the speed and impact of climate change.
“This historic agreement is testament to the voluntary architecture of the Paris Agreement, which has made tackling climate change much more effective and easier to agree upon. What we are going to need now is rapid but responsible implementation of options for reducing emissions, adapting to impacts, and removing carbon from the air,” said Professor Matondi.
Zimbabwe like many other developing countries, depend on fossil fuels like coal and still needs more funding to be able to transition to renewable energy sources.
