The Narrowing Window

While the climate change conference marks the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era, India will have to urgently find ways to move away from coal. Securing finance for new projects is going to be a big challenge

- Snigdhendu Bhattacharya

A strong pushback by some countries, including India, led to the agreement to “transition away from fossil fuels”, but without a mention of their “phase-out” at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai. Contesting the proposal which stipulated that no new coal-fired power plants can be commissioned without an in-built carbon capture and storage facility has come as a breather for India.

The discussion around fossil fuels was the most hotly-contested issue, dividing experts and countries, but the consensus was that “COP28 marks the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era”. After the conference, UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres, in a post on X, said: “Whether you like it or not, fossil fuel phase-out is inevitable.” He specified that he was addressing “those who opposed a clear reference to phase out of fossil fuels” during the summit. “Let’s hope it (phase out) doesn’t come too late,” Guterres wrote. 

There were two main reasons why the phrasing ‘phasing-out of fossil fuel’ did not find a place in the adopted text. According to an Indian delegate who was part of the negotiations, the oil and gas lobby vehemently protested the idea. The coal-dependent developing countries also opposed it because it would be suicidal for their economies as long as they do not get the necessary funds and transfer of technology from the developed countries. “But the developed countries weren’t willing to make that commitment,” said the delegate. 

Though the phrasing has come as a breather, India’s window to transition away from coal is narrowing, even as the country is set on a coal expansion path for at least another decade.