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COP28 COP28

Lavetanalagi Seru is Regional Coordinator at the Pacific down the text or push for false solutions. COP28 saw over
Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN) and shares his insights 2450 fossil fuel lobbyists and at least 475 carbon capture and
post-COP. storage lobbyists attend the climate negotiations in Dubai.
“PICAN had a small team on the ground working alongside “This, coupled with the COP28 Presidency being held by a
nodes, members, allies and our Pacific negotiators to ensure petro-state, resulted in a real mixed bag of outcomes.
that COP28 delivered the course correction that is urgently In the table below, PICAN gives its perspective on the
needed to keep #1point5tostayalive and secure our futures. progress and challenges presented by the COP28 outcomes
“This work was made even more difficult as our Pacific against its topline climate justice demands.
negotiators, civil society representatives and activists
navigated an increasingly captured space going up against an richard@islandsbusiness.com
unprecedented number of lobbyists working to either water

Pacific Climate Climate Justice Toplines COP28 Outcomes
Justice Demand

COP28 acknowledges significant gaps in finance for addressing
loss and damage, with a focus on economic and non-economic
Prioritising support and aspects, especially for developing countries, with the decision made
finance for communities on operationalising a new Fund for loss and damage with around $700
Loss and Damage facing irreversible loss million pledged to the Fund. However, this would seem to be a voluntary
and damage due to fund with no concrete avenues for capitalisation. As it stands, it is a
climate change. tokenistic decision which will not be able to address the significant needs
of people and communities experiencing loss and damage.

Supporting safe, voluntary, Appears under loss and damage in the same paragraph where
and dignified migration adaptation actions and humanitarian aid are noted, which does not
Climate Mobility in the context of climate adequately provide the space for climate mobility nor the recognition of
change. its severity in a 1.1C world.

Improving the quantity and Emphasises challenges in accessing climate finance and encourages
quality of climate finance, efforts to simplify access, especially for Least Developed Countries and
Climate Finance with a focus on adaptation Small Island Developing States. Urges developed countries to deliver on
and the needs of frontline the US$100 billion per year goal through 2025 and recognises the need
communities. to scale up adaptation finance.

Halting the expansion of However, whilst loss and damage is explicitly mentioned under the
Fossil Fuels fossil fuel industries and finance section of the GST, the new collective quantified goal decision
transitioning to renewable text does not even mention the term. This could be a real concern as
energy. from the outset, it does not set loss and damage as the third and missing
pillar of climate finance. In addition, the conversations on Article 2.1C
have been seriously concerning for developing countries where this
conversation, whilst important, is also seen to undermine the significant
responsibility of historic high emitters in the provision of finance that does
not enhance the debt burden of developing countries as they transition
away from fossil fuels.
It may seem positive that the Global Stocktake acknowledges the need
to reduce emissions from fossil fuels and emphasises the need to triple
renewable energy and double energy efficiency as well as mentions
phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies - the text we have is not the
clear market signal that this is the end of the fossil fuel era. What we
have is actually much more dangerous and insidious than we could have
hoped for. It is not aligned to the science that will limit warming to 1.5C.
The text explicitly recognises the role of transitional fuels (e.g. gas); is
focused mainly on transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems;
has no mention of differentiated timelines for developed and developing;
and has given a free hand in the acceleration of dangerous distractions
of abatement technologies without any definition of what this may mean.

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