COP28 live: US commits to close coal-fired power plants

The US joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance today by committing to close all its coal-fired power plants, in a move hailed at Cop28 as “huge news” that puts pressure on the world’s biggest burner of coal, China. Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel – about 40% of fossil fuel emissions – and its phase-out is essential to fighting the climate crisis. The US has the world’s third biggest fleet of coal-burning power stations. The deadline set by the US for ending coal appears to be 2035, five years after the 2030 date seen as compatible with keeping global heating below 1.5C. At #COP28 , I joined President @EmmanuelMacron & other leaders to proudly announce the United States is joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance. We will work with partners around the world to phase out unabated coal, an absolutely essential step for keeping 1.5 C within reach. pic.twitter.com/ZnIgLr7hvY The Czech Republic and Kosovo, both heavily reliant on coal, also joined the PPCA today. The alliance now has more than 50 nations as members, including 35 out of the 43 countries in the OECD, a club of rich countries. Leo Roberts, at the E3G thinktank, said: “The US is a huge coal consumer. So this is hugely symbolic, not just in terms of emissions, but also in terms of the US stepping up on the international stage.” “This puts a huge amount of pressure on the other OECD countries to make Paris-aligned coal exit commitments, particularly Japan, Australia and South Korea,” he said: “This is also putting direct pressure on China, which has over half of the world’s coal and nearly 75% of the world’s new coal project pipeline. I think that’s an intentional tactic by the countries who have stood up.” Bill Hare, at Climate Analytics, said: “Australia still is a very coal-intensive country and still is approving new mines to export coal. It is essentially using the drug-dealer defence, saying that other countries are demanding the coal.” “Expanding coal production runs completely counter to what the global scientific community and the International Energy Agency is saying,” he said. “So I’m still very concerned about the Australian position.” Evan Gach, from the Kiko Network, an NGO in Japan, said: “It’s disappointing to not see Japan on the PPCA list, but maybe not a surprise. Japan has over 170 existing coal units, and there’s no plan or roadmap to phase these out. Japan is committed to extending the life of fossil fuels for as long as they can profit from it.” Solar and wind energy is the cheapest electricity in the world today, and often even cheaper than simply continuing to buy the fuel for coal-fired power stations. Vivian Sunwoo Lee, from the Solutions for our Climate group in Korea, said: “If Korea doesn’t want to fall behind the major economies, it will also need to phase out coal.” A new diplomatic initiative, led by France and called the Coal Transition Accelerator, was also announced today. It will focus on ending private finance for coal, supporting communities that have previously relied upon the fuel and accelerating the development of clean energy in those regions. Roberts said: “Most coal projects are in the global south and none of them make any sense on economic grounds. They’re also a terrible idea for development and for the climate. So ending private finance for those will be extremely important.” He told the event: “Every year, our countries travel for days to travel for Cop. We spent the majority of the year preparing for these negotiations. “Climate change is the single greatest threat to humanity. Yet, every year, we find ourselves debating the same issues and fighting the same battles. The science is clear: In order to keep 1.5C alive, we must take urgent action to reduce fossil fuel consumption. The pacific sits in the front line of climate change with worsening climate damage. “Today, on behalf of the people of Tuvalu, I come to deliver a simple message to save our people from the devastating impacts of climate change. This Cop28 must produce a decision that addresses the root cause of emission. It must include clear language of phasing out fossil fuels. We no longer have time to sit by while our islands sink, while our forests burns and while our people suffer. “The Paris agreement establishes the regime of nationally determined contributions, allowing countries to chart their own path forward. We cannot lower emissions if keep growing the problem. At present, the phase out of fossil fuels is largely unmanaged. We must take steps to ensure a just and credible transition. “Many think this is to be an impossible task. That it is either too ambitious or too late but let me remind you of the achievement we have already accomplished. The choice of either being ambitious or realistic is a false choice; we must choose to be both.” Hello, this is Ajit Niranjan taking over from Alan Evans for the day. You can reach me at ajit.niranjan@theguardian.com, or on X (formerly Twitter) at @NiranjanAjit. Whether you’re on the ground or following from afar, please get in touch! Activists have called on rich countries to put 5% of their military budgets into climate finance, my colleague Dharna Noor writes. By diverting just 5% of global military budgets, the world could raise $110.4bn for climate finance – more than enough to meet a repeatedly broken annual climate finance target of $100bn, according to the Transnational Institute, an international research and advocacy group. “Money is being spent on militarization rather than on climate action,” said Nick Buxton, a researcher with the Transnational Institute, “though the climate crisis is the biggest [common] security threat that we face today.” The world’s militaries produce at least 5.5% of greenhouse gas emissions – more than the total footprint of Japan – according to one 2022 estimate. But no country is required to provide data on military emissions thanks to successful lobbying by the US at the Kyoto conference in 1997. Leaders removed the exemption in 2015 but made reporting military emissions optional. The call comes ahead of a special-themed day on “relief, recovery, and peace” tomorrow, the first time climate-fueled conflict has ever been on an international climate conference agenda. Turkmenistan joined the Global Methane Pledge today, an important move for the world’s fourth largest methane emitter. The pledge requires a leak reduction of 30% by 2030. The potent greenhouse gas is responsible for a third of the global heating driving the climate crisis today. The Guardian revealed Turkmenistan’s “mind boggling” methane emissions in May, a development sources said was instrumental in pushing the country to act. The country’s super-emitting leaks are seen as some of the easiest to fix by repairing ageing gas infrastructure. The world leaders’ speeches have finally concluded 45 minutes late after many speakers significantly overran their three-minute allowance, resulting in increasingly insistent beeping noises until they depart the stage. Nobody had to be hauled off stage by Sultan Al Jaber with a shepherd’s hook, but it may be a method worth considering for future Cop hosts. Kamala Harris, vice-president of the US who is attending in place of Joe Biden, has told the conference that the country is investing heavily in adaptation, with a particular focus on marginalised communities. Harris announced a significant $3bn pledge to the Green Climate Fund, but does not mention that this is subject to approval by Congress, which is divided. Kamala Harris said there is still much more work to do to limit climate change. Photograph: Amr Alfiky/Reuters “This is a pivotal moment. Our action, or worse, our inaction today … will impact the lives of billions of people for decades to come. So, for as much as we have accomplished … there is more work to do, and continued progress will not be without a fight,” Harris said. “Around the world, there are those who seek to slow or stop our progress. Leaders who deny climate science, delay climate action, and spread misinformation. Large corporations that greenwash their climate inaction and lobby for billions of dollars in fossil fuel subsidies. It is clear: we must do more.” The US, which is the world’s richest country and biggest polluter, has been widely criticised for the relative paltriness of its climate finance offerings so far. US powers past coal, Australia relies on ‘drug dealer’ defence Damian Carrington The US joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance today by committing to close all its coal-fired power plants, in a move hailed at Cop28 as “huge news” that puts pressure on the world’s biggest burner of coal, China. Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel – about 40% of fossil fuel emissions – and its phase-out is essential to fighting the climate crisis. The US has the world’s third biggest fleet of coal-burning power stations. The deadline set by the US for ending coal appears to be 2035, five years after the 2030 date seen as compatible with keeping global heating below 1.5C. At #COP28 , I joined President @EmmanuelMacron & other leaders to proudly announce the United States is joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance. We will work with partners around the world to phase out unabated coal, an absolutely essential step for keeping 1.5 C within reach. pic.twitter.com/ZnIgLr7hvY The Czech Republic and Kosovo, both heavily reliant on coal, also joined the PPCA today. The alliance now has more than 50 nations as members, including 35 out of the 43 countries in the OECD, a club of rich countries. Leo Roberts, at the E3G thinktank, said: “The US is a huge coal consumer. So this is hugely symbolic, not just in terms of emissions, but also in terms of the US stepping up on the international stage.” “This puts a huge amount of pressure on the other OECD countries to make Paris-aligned coal exit commitments, particularly Japan, Australia and South Korea,” he said: “This is also putting direct pressure on China, which has over half of the world’s coal and nearly 75% of the world’s new coal project pipeline. I think that’s an intentional tactic by the countries who have stood up.” Bill Hare, at Climate Analytics, said: “Australia still is a very coal-intensive country and still is approving new mines to export coal. It is essentially using the drug-dealer defence, saying that other countries are demanding the coal.” “Expanding coal production runs completely counter to what the global scientific community and the International Energy Agency is saying,” he said. “So I’m still very concerned about the Australian position.” Evan Gach, from the Kiko Network, an NGO in Japan, said: “It’s disappointing to not see Japan on the PPCA list, but maybe not a surprise. Japan has over 170 existing coal units, and there’s no plan or roadmap to phase these out. Japan is committed to extending the life of fossil fuels for as long as they can profit from it.” Solar and wind energy is the cheapest electricity in the world today, and often even cheaper than simply continuing to buy the fuel for coal-fired power stations. Vivian Sunwoo Lee, from the Solutions for our Climate group in Korea, said: “If Korea doesn’t want to fall behind the major economies, it will also need to phase out coal.” A new diplomatic initiative, led by France and called the Coal Transition Accelerator, was also announced today. It will focus on ending private finance for coal, supporting communities that have previously relied upon the fuel and accelerating the development of clean energy in those regions. Roberts said: “Most coal projects are in the global south and none of them make any sense on economic grounds. They’re also a terrible idea for development and for the climate. So ending private finance for those will be extremely important.” A significant development today as Colombia has announced it is to join the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty. It is the 10th country to join the group, but only the second member that is a fossil fuel producer, following Timor-Leste, which joined earlier this year. Colombia has significant reserves of coal, gas and oil. “While it is the use of fossil fuels that causes emissions, there is no direct mention of fossil fuels in the Paris agreement or subsequent agreements. What is frightening is that governments plan to increase the frontier of fossil fuel exploitation. Colombia believes we need a plan to phase out fossil fuels,” said Susana Muhamad, the country’s environment minister. My colleague Patrick Greenfield has the full story here: Another well-dressed delegate spotted in Dubai. Rihab Khalid is a climate social scientist and current research fellow at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge, and a Cop first-timer. Rihab Khalid, a climate social scientist at the University of Cambridge. Photograph: Nina Lakhani/The Guardian She is an interdisciplinary energy researcher who studies the intersections of gender equity, energy access and spatial justice. “I’m here because I’m passionate about gender equity, and I believe we can only achieve this if we align gender-responsive climate action with women’s sustainable development across all sectors,” she told the Guardian. One of the strangest tie-ins to the climate conference must be the Cop28 Adventures game, which was released by Dubai police before the event began. Its summary on Google’s Play Store reads: Immerse yourself in the urgent world of global climate action in Climate Guardians COP28. As a delegate at the UAE conference, craft policies, solve environmental challenges, and collaborate with players worldwide. Explore stunning UAE locations, make impactful decisions, and compete for the highest cooperation score. Join the movement for a sustainable future today The Guardian will not be downloading the app, and recommends that you do not either. Matthew Hedges, a British academic who was detained in the UAE in 2018, warned on Thursday, “Don’t be naive like I was” when it comes to digital security and the UAE. For this reason we cannot provide a review of the game, but here are some screenshots provided on the app page: A still from the Cop28 Adventures game. Photograph: Google My Rights and Duties (“learn about your rights in a fun and simple way”) My Child My Friend (“aims to enhance communication and friendship between parents and their offspring”) Stay Safe (“educating the public in all its categories of positive behaviours that must be adhered to and some negative behaviours that must be avoided”) The new Cop28 game lets users “explore stunning UAE locations, make impactful decisions, and compete for the highest cooperation score.” A still from the Cop28 Adventures game. Photograph: Google It also appears to have drone racing. It is not for the Guardian to speculate whether the whole Cop process could be made more productive with the addition of drone racing, but it does not appear to have been explored by the organisers and may be worth a shot. Pope: are we working for a culture of life or a culture of death? Pope Francis had been lined up to open today’s speeches, but was forced to stay home with a bout of “very acute infectious bronchitis”. He sent the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in his place with a missive, which Parolin read out. “I am with you because now more than ever, the future of us all depends on the present that we now choose,” he said. “I am with you because the destruction of the environment is an offence against God, a sin that is not only personal but also structural, one that greatly endangers all human beings, especially the most vulnerable in our midst and threatens to unleash a conflict between generations. “I am with you because climate change is a global social issue and one intimately related to the dignity of human life. I am with you to raise the question which we must answer now: Are we working for a culture of life or a culture of death? “To all of you I make this heartfelt appeal: Let us choose life. Let us choose the future. May we be attentive to the cry of the earth, may we hear the plea of the poor, may we be sensitive to the hopes of the young and the dreams of children. We have a grave responsibility: to ensure that they not be denied their future.” Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s rightwing prime minister, speaks of the need for what she describes as “a technology-neutral approach, free from radicalism”. Meloni has long dismissed the need for urgent action on climate change and has cracked down hard on protests by environmental and other activists, which this statement seems to be a reference to. Italy has, however, pledged €100m to the new loss and damage fund, one of the largest offerings yet. Meloni also pledged to invest money in Africa, but “not as charity”, saying it would be in partnerships “among equals”. “We’re all aware that many of the efforts we make today will likely have visible results long after we have left positions of power … we are doing it anyway, not for us but those who come after us,” she says. Meloni wraps up by quoting Warren Buffett: “There is someone sitting in the shade today because someone else planted a tree long ago.”