World off track on climate action amid fossil fuel crisis, lobbying pressures: Expert

Climate crisis will hit the poorest and most marginalised the hardest those who have contributed least to the problem and have the least resilience to changing weather patterns said top representative of a global campaign advocating for a new treaty to phase out fossil fuelsIn an exclusive interview with PTI Videos Alex Rafalowicz Director of the Fossil Fuel NonProliferation Treaty initiative said that in terms of the formal agreements reached at COP30 we are still drastically off track in confronting the climate crisisTo stop the acceleration of these disasters we need a genuine plan to phase out fossil fuels and to end deforestation COP30 did neither So at the highest level we must be honest we are off track Rafalowicz saidThe United Nations climate talks in Brazil reached a subdued agreement recently that pledged more funding for countries to adapt to the wrath of extreme weatherBut the catchall agreement does not include explicit details to phase out fossil fuels or strengthen countries inadequate emission cutting plans which dozens of nations demandedNoting Indias dependence on fossil fuels Rafalowicz told PTI that the first step in addressing any dependency is acknowledging it and committing to move beyond even without every pathway detail in placeWe can discuss a reasonable pathway that ensures continued access to energy especially for people who currently lack it and that ensures just transition plans for workers in fossil fuel sectors This is precisely the conversation Colombia and the Netherlands want to begin India given its ambition for renewable energy would be very welcome the director of the Fossil Fuel NonProliferation Treaty initiative told PTIWhen asked what factors influenced the absence of a fossil fuel language in the global Mutiratildeo text at the UN climate talks Rafalowicz emphasised that political will public pressure and lobbying all influenced COP negotiationsHe also cited the UKs shift to support the just transition mechanism after sustained public and trade union pressure as an example of how government positions can change and stressed that coal oil and gas remain the main sources of carbon dioxide emissions framing the climate challenge as a fossilfuel crisisWe must acknowledge the huge number of industry lobbyists at these conferences One in 25 attendees represented fossil fuelrelated industries or corporations Their interest is to limit action Eightysix per cent of the cardon dioxide trapped in our atmosphere over the past decade has come from coal oil and gas If we cannot address these three products we cannot address the climate crisis It is fundamentally a fossil fuel crisis he saidHighlighting that fossil fuels have never delivered sustainable development Rafalowicz expressed concerns over the destruction of ecological limits and fossil fuels causing significant harm from polluted city air to Amazon oil spills and escalation of other climate impactsWhen asked if nations who are major producers of fossil fuels can derail their goals he said They can try and they can slow progress but they cannot derail the transition that is already underway Renewable energy installation is almost surpassing annual increases in demandElectric vehicles are rapidly replacing petrol vehicles and oil consumption is expected to decline quickly he addedRafalowicz further said the central questions are whether the transition can be made quickly enough to avert severe climate impacts and whether it can be achieved fairlyHe warned that leaving the shift entirely to market forces would allow powerful players to gain the most resulting in a slow and inequitable transition that would not serve Indias interests or those of many other countriesSuch an approach he added may benefit elites in the United States Saudi Arabia or Russia but not the majority of peopleSpeaking about Colombia and the Netherlands cohosting first international conference on the just transition away from fossil fuels Rafalowicz said that the event was announced alongside about 24 countries during COP30 and 15 other countries meet the criteria of having a strong vision for getting off fossil fuelsI expect around 40 countries from every continent Colombia envisions technical dialogues to develop best practices for overcoming fossil fuel dependence and to propose changes to the international system to accelerate the transition he saidThis includes discussions on new legal avenues the International Court of Justices decision the COP Presidencys roadmap on phasing out fossil fuels and the possibility of establishing a new treaty focused specifically on fossil fuelsThe first international conference on the just transition away from fossil fuels is slated to be held on April 28 and 29 in 2026 in the port city of Santa Marta ColombiaThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever