BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Rich countries from the Group of Seven should take the lead in phasing out fossil fuels, leaders of seven countries including the Netherlands and Chile have called for a global deal to be phased out this year. Oil, coal and gas out.
Some countries, including the 27-member European Union, expect all countries to agree to end fossil fuel use due to climate change at this year’s UN climate talks, reviving an idea that raised some eyebrows at last year’s climate talks. Received support, but which was blocked by oil and gas rich countries.
The G7 leaders’ meeting that began on Friday in Hiroshima, Japan, is being seen as a test of the appetites of the world’s advanced economies to do so.
In a letter to G7 leaders, dated May 18 and seen by Reuters, the presidents and prime ministers of the seven countries urged them to move towards a deal to phase out fossil fuels.
“We must end the era of fossil fuels and phase them out,” the letter said, referring to this year’s COP28 climate summit. We call on you to lead and work with us to agree on COP28. They say.”
The letter was also signed by the leaders of New Zealand, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Saint Lucia and Vanuatu, four small island states whose vulnerability to climate change has given them extraordinary political leverage in previous UN negotiations.
The countries said the G7 should also support efforts to develop new global goals on renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Climate ministers from G7 countries agreed for the first time last month to accelerate the “phasing out of fossil fuels”. It is not clear whether its leaders will do the same.
Other countries have expressed a desire to continue allowing the use of fossil fuels.
Sultan Al-Jaber, the incoming president of the United Arab Emirates at COP28 this month urged countries to focus on “phasing out fossil fuel emissions”. This would allow countries to continue using fossil fuels, while using technologies to capture the CO2 emissions resulting from their combustion.
