The big meeting about climate change in Dubai, called COP28, is getting really intense. People from different countries are talking a lot because they’re not happy with the plan. They say it doesn’t do enough to fix the main problem – fossil fuels making climate change worse. Big countries like Australia, Canada, the European Union, Norway, and the United States are saying this.
The argument is mainly about the words in the plan. It talks about “reducing both use and making of fossil fuels” to have almost no emissions by 2050. This is a first for these types of meetings. But it’s not what a lot of countries, scientists, and people who care about the environment want. They want a stronger promise to stop using fossil fuels sooner to stop climate change from getting worse.
Some countries want to stop using fossil fuels completely, but others, especially those that make lots of oil, like Saudi Arabia in OPEC, don’t agree. Saudi Arabia tried to take out any mention of fossil fuels from the plan, but the person in charge from the United Arab Emirates didn’t agree.
Because of these disagreements, talks are taking longer than planned. China, which makes the most greenhouse gases, and other big oil-producing countries are also making it hard to agree on things.
Island countries, which are in danger from rising sea levels, are really worried. They don’t want a plan that won’t protect them. They’re asking for a strong promise to keep their homes safe from climate problems.
Even though we’re using more clean energy, most of our energy still comes from fossil fuels. So, it’s really important to agree on a plan to switch to cleaner ways of making energy.
The European Union says they’re ready to keep talking until they get a better agreement. They think this decision is super important because it’ll decide how countries all over the world work to fight climate change.
We don’t know yet what the final plan will say or if everyone will agree. But people everywhere hope that they can make a strong promise to stop using fossil fuels and move towards a better, safer future for everyone.
