Debate over climate science, transition away from fossil fuels, electrification and climate finance can begin in earnest as world leaders leave UN summit
Good morning. Nearly all of the more than 90 world leaders who descended on Antalya in the past three days have now packed up their suitcases and lit out, some of them for the EU’s AI summit in Dublin. Anthony Albanese and the UN secretary-general are among the few to linger but will also head off later today.
With the departure of the circus, the real negotiations can begin, and a first draft of the cover decision for this Cop could come as soon as today, though over the weekend or Monday are still more likely. Look out for wording on the “ overshoot ” of 1.5C, climate science, the all-important transition away from fossil fuels, the electrification target and finance. The current “wishlist” can be perused here .
As double-hosted Cop31 gathers steam, the quest is also on for a venue for Cop33. Next year’s event will be in Ethiopia, and according to the complex systems of the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the meeting after that should be in Asia. But who will host?
As the Guardian revealed last night, it will not be China – a shame, according to many experts, who had been hoping that the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and second biggest economy would step up. China is undergoing a massive economic transformation, swapping reliance on coal and oil for electricity generated from renewable sources. This has proved a boost to the country’s economy, as the clean and low-carbon sectors now make up more than a tenth of its GDP.
India also considered hosting Cop33, but dropped its early-stage proposal months ago. That leaves the field open, with Uzbekistan, Thailand, Korea and Indonesia also cited as potential bidders. No decision on the hosting is likely to be made at this Cop, as countries are likely to need more time to develop their bids.
China has ruled out hosting the Cop33 UN climate summit in 2028 after months of deliberations, leaving the field open for other Asian countries to hold it, the Guardian understands.
The decision will disappoint many countries and climate experts, who had hoped the world’s biggest emitter would take the lead on the global stage, as the US under Donald Trump has vacated all forms of international cooperation on the climate .
Al Gore, the former US vice-president, was among those left disheartened by the decision. “I would be very much in favour of that idea [of China hosting the summit],” he told the Guardian. “It’s too bad.”
China is in the midst of an economic transformation , from being heavily dependent on coal to becoming an “electro state”. John Kerry, the former US secretary of state, told the Guardian that China was leaving the rest of the world behind in forging and using the low-carbon technologies of the future.
Renewable energy generation capacity has now outstripped coal in China, and its greenhouse gas emissions appear to have declined slightly this year.
Sales of electric vehicles in the country have also taken off, making up nearly two-thirds of the market last month, and China’s clean energy industries drove more than 90% of the country’s investment growth last year .
The rules of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) mean an Asian country should host in 2028.
Gareth Redmond-King, the international lead at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit thinktank, said China’s position as an industrial powerhouse would have made it a formidable contender to hold the summit.
“It would undoubtedly be significant for the world’s biggest emitter and second-biggest economy to host a climate Cop,” he said.
“They’re leading the world on investment, manufacture and deployment of clean energy tech, and their emissions have started to tick down. As a leadership story, China hosting Cop33 would be a big deal.”
Good morning. Nearly all of the more than 90 world leaders who descended on Antalya in the past three days have now packed up their suitcases and lit out, some of them for the EU’s AI summit in Dublin. Anthony Albanese and the UN secretary-general are among the few to linger but will also head off later today.
With the departure of the circus, the real negotiations can begin, and a first draft of the cover decision for this Cop could come as soon as today, though over the weekend or Monday are still more likely. Look out for wording on the “ overshoot ” of 1.5C, climate science, the all-important transition away from fossil fuels, the electrification target and finance. The current “wishlist” can be perused here .
As double-hosted Cop31 gathers steam, the quest is also on for a venue for Cop33. Next year’s event will be in Ethiopia, and according to the complex systems of the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the meeting after that should be in Asia. But who will host?
As the Guardian revealed last night, it will not be China – a shame, according to many experts, who had been hoping that the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and second biggest economy would step up. China is undergoing a massive economic transformation, swapping reliance on coal and oil for electricity generated from renewable sources. This has proved a boost to the country’s economy, as the clean and low-carbon sectors now make up more than a tenth of its GDP.
India also considered hosting Cop33, but dropped its early-stage proposal months ago. That leaves the field open, with Uzbekistan, Thailand, Korea and Indonesia also cited as potential bidders. No decision on the hosting is likely to be made at this Cop, as countries are likely to need more time to develop their bids.
