The EU will seek a global phase-out of fossil fuels and for their use to reach a peak in this decade, according to the member states’ common position adopted unanimously.
The decision comes ahead of the COP28 UN climate talks in November, and the union will also call for the elimination of “as soon as possible” subsidies for fossil fuels that do not tackle energy poverty or enable a “just transition” – but without determining a date, as NGOs had hoped.
“The European Council stresses that the transition to a climate-neutral economy will require a global phase-out of unabated fossil fuels and a peak in their consumption in this decade”, said a statement released after the meeting of EU environment ministers on Monday.
At the same time, the 27 European States will emphasize “the importance of having the energy sector predominantly free of fossil fuels well before 2050,” a formula presented without any mention of “unabated.”
EU ministers sitting in Luxembourg battled frantically over the inclusion of the word in the negotiating mandate for Wopke Hoekstra, the new EU commissioner for climate concerns who will represent them at COP28 in Dubai from November 30 to December 12.
In accordance with the COP28 presidency’s objectives, Brussels aims to quadruple global renewable energy use by the end of this decade and double energy efficiency.
The EU has already set a 2050 deadline for the abolition of “unabated” fossil fuels, which are those that rely on coal, oil, or gas but lack systems to collect or store carbon.
The matter is expected to be fiercely battled over at the UN climate conference in Dubai, and it has been the source of heated dispute among EU member states.
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