COPs are meant to be a dedicated space to confront the escalating climate chaos and move all countries forward together on finding and investing in solutions. Yet elements of this year’s meeting seem to be designed to turn COP27 into a promotional convention for fossil gas at the exact moment in which the crisis of the fossil fuel system is being exposed as a cause and accelerant of the many crises the world is facing – from conflict to inflation to high commodity prices to, of course, the climate crisis.
ECO has been listening with mounting concern in recent months as Ministers from our host country have been using multilateral meetings to push the outdated myth that fossil gas should act as a “bridge” fuel. Now, science and the International Energy Agency (IEA) are crystal clear: gas is a bridge to nowhere. Burning just the oil and gas in fields that are already open now would take us beyond 1.5ºC. Expanding fossil fuels of any kind is senseless. The IEA says that demand is peaking, even within business-as-usual scenarios; further investments in oil and gas will lead to worse energy access and security, whereas countries that have more renewable energy generation have been spared the worst of the energy crisis.
ECO’s concern turned to alarm when we learned Hill+Knowlton had been hired to help run communications for COP27. You may recognize their name as the PR firm that pioneered Big Tobacco’s disinformation campaigns, and now works with Big Oil and Gas. Speaking of Big Oil and Gas: they had a bigger delegation than any country at last year’s COP in Glasgow, and their representatives are set to have an even bigger presence at COP27. We can see their fingerprints in the negotiations already – see our note on 6.4 and the technofixes showing up there.
Don’t get us wrong: COP should be talking about fossil fuels. The reality is, defossilization is the only road to decarbonisation. ECO hopes to hear talk about how to phase oil, gas, and coal out in a just and equitable manner while dramatically scaling up energy efficiency and renewable energy. It took over 30 years for COP to finally say the F words in last year’s cover text, and we need to build on that this year. Here’s ECO’s take on the work leaders should be doing on fossil fuels:
- World leaders must pick a side and end the expansion of coal, oil and gas in keeping with science.
- Recognise the need to end oil and gas including via decision text calling for phase down (and ultimately phase out) of all fossil fuels, not just unabated coal. The Mitigation Work Program and Global Stocktake should include clear priorities to accelerate just energy transitions away from fossil fuel dependence.
- Global north countries must support those in the global south to develop industries and economies that enable them to move rapidly and equitably beyond coal, oil and gas.
- Finance institutions should follow the lead of groups like Banque Postale and end finance for oil and gas. Institutions that have joined the “Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero” should additionally announce that they will phase out support for oil and gas production as part of their commitment to Net Zero.
- Multilateral cooperation is essential to getting this right: governments should join and strengthen the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA) and urge the development of a Global Just Transition fund to support countries working to achieve economic development and energy access goals without deepening dependence on fossil fuels. Governments should also join Vanuatu in developing a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to manage a global fair energy transition.
- Existing BOGA members, like California and Quebec, should be the first to call out the insanity of turning COP27 into an all-you-can-eat fossil gas buffet.
- As the cost of living crisis bites for people around the world, there is a clear source of revenue for loss and damage funds: the grotesque profits of oil and gas companies. Negotiators in Sharm el Sheikh must agree to a global charge on publicly listed oil and gas companies. This follows calls by the UN Secretary General, the preceding COP President, and AOSIS countries.
- Any side deals agreed – such as the Just Energy Transition Partnerships, which Germany, Senegal and Egypt among others are discussing – should be absolutely clear that they will not support any gas. After all, with renewables now the cheapest form of energy globally, there can be no role for fossil gas in a just energy transition.