As Climate Talks Near, Calls Mount for a ‘Phaseout’ of Fossil Fuels
As Climate Talks Near, Calls Mount for a 'Phaseout' of Fossil Fuels Yale Environment 360
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Boom in Fossil Fuel Production Threatens Climate Goals
It is boom time in the deserts of New Mexico and West Texas, where vast oil reserves buried in the Permian geological basin are getting a second life, thanks to fracking. Though tapped for more than a century, the basin still contains the largest oil reserve in the United States, and one of the largest in the world. Output has tripled in a decade. And big oil appears determined to tap every last drop.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- SDG 13: Climate Action
Oil Production in Permian Basin
- In October, Vicki Hollub, CEO of Occidental, one of the largest operators there, promised yet more production in a basin that Bloomberg last year described as “uniquely positioned to become the world’s most important growth engine for oil production.”
- The COP28 conference will hear calls from governments for a ban on all further development of fossil-fuel mines and wells.
Arctic Gas Field in Russia
- By drilling deeper, state-owned Gazprom plans to more than double production by 2030 at the Bovanenkovo gas field in Russia’s Yamal peninsula.
Coal Mines in China
- China is set to open dozens more giant coal mines, with reserves that would emit more than a billion tons of carbon dioxide when burned. China has almost a third of the world’s proposed new coal mines.
The COP28 conference will hear calls from governments for a ban on all further development of fossil-fuel mines and wells.
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Production in Qatar
- Qatar is preparing to expand LNG production by more than 60 percent between 2021 and 2027 at the North Field reserve.
Similarly, off the reef-lined shores of the Persian Gulf, the world’s largest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG), Qatar, is preparing to expand production by more than 60 percent between 2021 and 2027. Extensions to the vast North Field reserve are intended to ship LNG to Asia and Europe until at least the 2080s.
High Ambition Coalition’s Call for Phaseout
- This week, 15 nations — including France, Austria, Spain, the Netherlands, and Ireland, and other members of a group called the High Ambition Coalition — issued a call for COP28 to deliver an “urgent phaseout of coal-fired power generation” and a commitment to “ending new coal and the expansion of existing coal mines.”
There are formidable force aligned against a phaseout, including the conference host nation, the oil-rich United Arab Emirates.
Climate Crisis and Urgency for Action
- The crisis is urgent. Climate change is “happening much more quickly than expected,” according to the new chair of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Jim Skea of Imperial College London.
- This year is on track to be 1.4 degrees C (2.5 degrees F) warmer than the preindustrial average, rapidly approach the 1.5-degree limit for the long-term average that is meant to be the cornerstone of international climate policy.
Slow Progress in Achieving Net-Zero Emissions
- The promises made by governments at UN climate conferences to deliver net-zero emissions by mid-century are not yet delivering. CO2 emissions rose by 1 percent last year.
- In the run-up to COP28, calls for a fossil fuel phaseout are growing.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 15: Life on Land
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
- SDG 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable
- SDG 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
- SDG 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce degradation of natural habitats
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Percentage of renewable energy in the global energy mix
- Investment in sustainable infrastructure and industries
- Integration of climate change measures in national policies and planning
- Reduction in degradation of natural habitats
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy | 7.2: Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix | Percentage of renewable energy in the global energy mix |
| SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure | 9.4: Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable | Investment in sustainable infrastructure and industries |
| SDG 13: Climate Action | 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning | Integration of climate change measures in national policies and planning |
| SDG 15: Life on Land | 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce degradation of natural habitats | Reduction in degradation of natural habitats |
Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.
Source: e360.yale.edu
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