Zero believes the agreement reached at COP28 is an “important achievement” but is “bittersweet”.

The environmental association Zero believes that the agreement reached this Wednesday at the Climate Summit in Dubai (COP28) is a “major achievement”, but it has a “bittersweet aftertaste” as it still leaves open many “false and contradictory” issues. options.

Zero said in a statement that overall the outcome document paves the way for the end of the fossil fuel era, but “does not reflect the need for adequate funding, particularly on the issue of loss and damage, and the balance between mitigation and adaptation efforts.”

Zero emphasizes that the Global Balance has been welcomed “with the inclusion and strengthening of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), strong references to science, in addition to various elements that will form the basis to guarantee the path to the next Global Balance.” balance “.

The document, as Zero points out, also includes important references on “the ocean, recognizing the importance of marine ecosystem restoration and climate change mitigation and adaptation actions, strengthening the ocean-climate link.”

The association believes the text does not specifically address fossil fuel phase-out and mitigation, which is in fact the “radical change needed.”

Zero also emphasizes that the wording of the outcome document represents “a series of gaps that could be exploited to the advantage of countries that have not yet committed to climate action,” emphasizing that paragraph 26 of the global assessment “provides no commitments or even an invitation to Parties to achieve peak emissions by 2025.”

According to Zero, Portugal’s position was strong as it played an active role, including being available for political coordination of the topics discussed, as well as being responsible for a physical presence at the venues through the Portuguese pavilion.

“Portugal also needs to avoid failing in sectors such as transport, whose emissions are at odds with overall performance, to invest in renewable energy but in a sustainable manner and not to be distracted by bad decisions such as the export of green hydrogen,” the association stresses.

Zero also emphasizes that the next few years must be “underpinned by international cooperation, local, regional and national efforts to achieve 1.5°C and to achieve full, funded, fair, fast, feminist and forever.”

Countries meeting at the climate summit approved this Wednesday by “consensus” a decision that calls for a “transition” away from fossil fuels, the COP28 president announced in Dubai.

It is a “historic decision to accelerate action to combat climate change,” said Sultan Al Jaber, president of the UN conference.