At least 118 countries have pledged to triple their renewable energy capacity by 2030.

At least 118 countries have pledged this Saturday to triple their renewable energy production capacity, COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber announced, in a list that does not include major producers or consumers of fossil fuels.

This non-binding commitment, adopted at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), aims to ensure that this goal is included in any final COP28 agreement.

“I respectfully request all parties (to the COP) to join us as soon as possible,” Sultan Al Jaber was quoted as saying by AFP at the event, which is taking place in Dubai. “It can and will help the world move away from coal” without carbon capture.

The list provided by the COP28 chairman does not include the largest producing or consuming countries of fossil fuels: Russia, Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Kuwait, Qatar and others.

The underwriters committed to “work together” to increase global renewable energy capacity (wind, solar, hydro and others) to 11,000 gigawatts (GW) by that date, up from about 3,400 GW today, taking into account “different starting points and national circumstances” of different nations.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, global capacity stood at 3,372 GW at the end of 2022, dominated by hydropower (37%) and solar power (31%).

Countries have also pledged to double the annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030, from 2% to 4%, and these commitments are non-binding.

In the spring, the European Union issued a call on this matter, supported by the COP28 presidency and then successively by the G7 and G20 countries (80% of global greenhouse gas emissions).

“With this global goal, we are sending a very strong signal to investors and financial markets. We are showing them the way forward,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told AFP in Dubai.

Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa today defended the need for faster and more ambitious global climate action to “reverse the trajectory that will take the planet apart” and warned that “humanity B does not exist.”

“Faster, more concrete and more ambitious action is needed to change the trajectory that will lead to destruction of our planet, as the United Nations Secretary-General asks us,” Antonio Costa said before world leaders take part in COP28, which is taking place currently. in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The Prime Minister has now officially announced that Portugal will contribute around five million euros to a fund to finance “loss and damage” caused by climate change, one of several investments he said was needed.