To maintain the 1.5 degree target, global greenhouse gas emissions must fall by 43 percent between 2019 and 2030, according to the latest calculations by the UN Climate Panel (IPCC). The new UN report expects a decline of only 2 percent during that period. This means that carbon dioxide emissions are likely to peak this decade. But so far there has been no sharp decline after that peak.
Therefore, the Dubai climate summit should be a “historic turning point” for climate, says summit chair Sultan Al Jaber. He is also the director of the UAE’s state oil company, a fact that has led to a lot of criticism. According to many environmental groups, the climate summit under his leadership lacks credibility.
The use of fossil fuels will certainly become an important item on the climate summit agenda. The European Union and some other countries want the summit to agree to phase out the use of all types of fossil fuels. But for many countries, this remains elusive.