Oil, coal and gas winners at COP, poorer countries lose out, again.

Oil coal and gas are once again the winners at COP28, while poorer countries once again lose out, said Oxfam Ireland, in response to the outcome of COP28 today.
Lyndsay Walsh, Policy Advisor on climate change at Oxfam said, “Minister Eamon Ryan stood in the breach for a ‘fossil fuel phase out’ in the final text which would have made this agreement historic - but that was not achieved.
Language of ‘transition’ from fossil fuels is not the same as ‘phase out.’
More importantly, progress on financing ‘transition’ from fossil fuels throughout the world was not achieved at COP 28.
Oxfam has highlighted that one in four billionaire delegates to COP28 had made their fortunes from polluting industries. "Climate negotiations are too important to be sunk by greed,” said Walsh.
“These vested interests won again at COP even if they had to struggle harder as their era comes to an end,” she added.

Oxfam International’s Climate Change Policy Lead Nafkote Dabi said: 

“Everyone fighting against the global climate crisis has little to celebrate from this disappointing COP28. Its final outcome is grossly inadequate.

“COP28 was doubly disappointing because it put no money on the table to help developing countries transition to renewable energies. And rich countries again reneged on their obligations to help people being hit by the worst impacts of climate breakdown, like those in the Horn of Africa who have recently lost everything from flooding, after an historic five-season drought and years of hunger.

“Developing countries, and the poorest communities, are left facing more debt, worsening inequality, with less help, and more danger and hunger and deprivation. COP28 was miles away from the historic and ambitious outcome that was promised.”

ENDS

Contact

Clare Cronin | clare.cronin@oxfam.org | +353 (0) 87 195 2551