SINGAPORE: The complete phasing-out of fossil fuels is not realistic, China’s top climate official said, adding that these climate-warming fuels must continue to play a vital role in maintaining global energy security.
China is the world’s biggest consumer of fossil fuels including coal and oil, and its special climate envoy Xie Zhenhua was responding to comments by ambassadors at a forum in Beijing on Thursday (Sep 21) ahead of the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai in November. Reuters obtained a copy of the text of Xie’s speech and a video recording of the meeting.
Countries are under pressure to make more ambitious pledges to tackle global warming after a UN-led global “stocktake” said 20 gigatons of additional carbon dioxide reductions would be needed this decade alone to keep temperatures from rising below the critical threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
The stocktake will be at the centre of discussions at the COP28 climate meeting, with campaigners hoping it will create the political will to set clear targets to end coal and oil use.
Xie, however, said the intermittent nature of renewable energy and the immaturity of key technologies like energy storage means the world must continue to rely on fossil fuels to safeguard economic growth.
“It is unrealistic to completely phase out fossil fuel energy,” said Xie, who will represent China at COP28 this year.
At climate talks in Glasgow in 2021, China led efforts to change the language of the final agreement from “phasing out” to “phasing down” fossil fuels. China also supports a bigger role in abatement technologies like carbon capture and storage.
Source: CNA
