Nearly 200 nations, including New Zealand, signed a landmark agreement at the recent Cop28 climate summit in Dubai. It took two weeks of tough negotiation, but the deal finally passed on 13 December, when it was met with applause from those in attendance. Here’s a brief roundup of the agreements and pledges made.
Renewables to triple by 2030
Some of the agreements and pledges made at Cop28 include:
- A goal to cut emissions by 45% in just six years.
- A pledge for global renewable energy generation to triple by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050.
- A call to double the rate of energy efficiency improvements.
- A loss and damage fund being operationalised to support the most vulnerable repair damage caused by climate change.
- More nuclear energy development.
- A commitment to transition away from fossil fuels in a “just, orderly and equitable manner”.
- Natural gas will be an important transition fuel during the global decarbonisation process.
New Zealand climate change minister says it’s “pretty historic”
New Zealand was represented at Cop28 by our climate change minister, Simon Watts, and we were one of 118 nations to sign a pledge to triple global renewable capacity by 2030.
When asked about the final agreement of the summit, Watts told RNZ: “We were calling for more ambition, but at the end of the day we’ve got a step forward and that’s pretty historic.”
The agreement will be supported by other work being done in New Zealand Aotearoa that is giving us a roadmap toward decarbonisation. New Zealand’s priority objectives are fostering global action, supporting Pacific resilience and supporting our own transition.
As a nation, our priority is developing a clear plan for renewables, to provide guidance on big decisions that must be made over the next 12 to 18 months, he added.