Does COP 28 Signal an End of Fossil Fuels

Between November 30 and December 12, 2023, the United Arab Emirates hosted the 28th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP 28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). A major outcome of COP 28 was the conclusion of the first-ever Global Stocktake — a mechanism to measure collective progress towards meeting the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. For fossil fuel producers, who were granted the highest representation in the history of COP, the inclusion of language on “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner” was perhaps the most striking of the COP 28 outcomes. This webinar will explore the following questions: What are the main outcomes of COP 28? Do these get us on track to keeping 1.5°C within reach? Does the phrase “transitioning away from fossil fuels” signal an end for the fossil fuel industry? What are the geopolitical implications of the phrase for fossil fuel producers and consumers such as the Gulf states and their major energy partners, such as China, Japan, and South-east Asia?