COP30 press conference calling for a fossil fuel roadmap
The press conference called at the start of the second week of COP30 brought together BOGA members and a host of other countries. It marked a turning point in the COP30 process, with a growing number of parties supporting the Mutirão Call for a Fossil Fuel Roadmap.
Two years after the first global agreement to transition away from fossil fuels at COP28, Parties from the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia joined the call for ‘a roadmap for a just, orderly equitable transition away from fossil fuels as part of the urgent response to accelerate implementation and alignment with NDCs with the 1.5 temperature limit’. BOGA members led the Call.
Chairing the press conference, Tina Stege, Climate Envoy of the Republic of Marshall Islands, said: “Today we bring together many diverse interests who all support the call for a roadmap... The best chance of landing an agreement is in a Mutirão package, the current reference in the text is weak and is presented as an option – it must be strengthened and adopted”.
Irene Vélez-Torres, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, said: “Despite being a producer country of oil and coal, we have chosen not to grant any new oil exploration contract nor coal mining… with our colleagues from Brazil we said this ‘mapa do camino’ is essential.”
Ali Mohamed, Climate Change Envoy of Kenya, said: “At the first Africa Climate Summit in 2023, African leaders emphasised the issue of transitioning from fossil fuels, and we continue to push for that. Kenya is a clean energy leader in the world. It's important that – as we transition away in a just, orderly manner – we secure access to energy.”
Jiwoh Abdulai, Minister for Environment and Climate Change of Sierra Leone said: “For countries like us at the forefront, the cost of adaptation is increasing much faster than we can afford… We need to treat this with urgency, and transitioning away from fossil fuels has to be just and equitable, especially for countries in Africa.”
Summing up the Call, Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero of the United Kingdom, said: “This is a global coalition with Global North and Global South countries coming together and saying with one voice: this is an issue which cannot be swept under the carpet. We have an opportunity to make COP30 the moment we take forward what we agreed at COP28.”
