COP28 Diary-Day 3: Some More Pledges Made As Business-End Of Dubai Climate Summit Begins

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the official handle of the COP28 said the 118 countries have also agreed to double the rate of energy efficiency improvements from 2 per cent to more than 4 per cent every year until 2030.

Other major developments on the third day were:

– The US pledged US$ 3 billion to a United Nations fund that will help developing countries cut greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. The announcement by Vice President Kamala Harris will likely help the US rebuild trust with developing nations that the West can follow through on its promises.

The paltry sum (US$ 17.5 million) pledged by the US to the Loss and Damage Fund two days ago was criticised by many. On Saturday, Harris said, “We are demonstrating through action how the world can and must meet this crisis.”

–The US also appeared to put pressure on China to do more on methane emissions. The US Environmental Protection Agency announced new standards to cut methane emissions. “Sharp cuts in methane emissions are among the most critical actions the United States can take in the short term to slow the rate of climate change,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said at a news conference.

– Fifty oil and gas companies signed a “decarbonisation charter” to cut emissions from their own operations. These included two of the world’s largest private and state-sector oil companies – Exxon Mobil Corp of the US and Saudi Arabia’s Aramco.

Some analysts have criticised the deal as a "smokescreen" none of the companies agreed to reduce oil and gas production, but they pledged to stem methane emissions to near zero by 2030. They also say the deal ignores the emissions caused when customers burn the fuels.

– The US committed to close all its coal-fired power plants as the US Special Envoy John Kerry announced that America was joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance. While this meant the US would not add any new coal-fired plants, no deadline was given on when it plans to shut the existing plants.

According to the US Department of Energy, just under 20 per cent of the electricity is powered by coal in the country as of October.

“We will be working to accelerate unabated coal phase-out across the world, building stronger economies and more resilient communities,” Kerry said. “The first step is to stop making the problem worse: stop building new unabated coal power plants.”

Kerry also promised that the US will invest more funds into nuclear energy.

– Speaking at a health event, COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber announced that 123 countries have endorsed the UAE Declaration on Climate and Health, which seeks to cut emissions in the health sector and increase climate-health financing.

– Meanwhile, towards the end of Day 2, world leaders for the first time promised to deal with the issue of climate impact of food and agriculture. Food contributes a third of the warming gases increasing global temperatures.

“The declaration sends a powerful signal to the nations of the world that we can only keep the 1.5 degree goal in sight if we act fast to shift the global food system in the direction of greater sustainability and resilience," Edward Davey, head of research group World Resources Institute UK, told the BBC.

–Notably, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was absent even on Day 3 of COP28, despite being listed as an early speaker at the summit.