Today in the United Arab Emirates, 200 nations from around the world signed a non-binding agreement meant to address the pervasive and growing threat of global climate change. In response, Food & Water Watch Managing Director of Policy and Litigation Mitch Jones issued the following statement:

“The unfortunate truth is that the multinational agreement coming out of COP 28 amounts to very, very little in terms of actually putting a dent in the runaway existential crisis of global climate change. This sad outcome should come as no surprise, given the fact that the entire summit was headed by a fossil fuel baron. 

“The non-binding agreement is littered with deference to the global fossil fuel status quo, including a specific endorsement of ‘transitional fuels,’ meaning the drilling, fracking and burning of natural gas. Continued reliance on polluting, poisoning fracked gas will push our planet over the climate cliff, and fast.

“Any nation that intends to take the climate crisis seriously must immediately initiate an aggressive transition off oil and gas and onto clean, renewable solar and wind energy. And nations must reject the false solutions being hyped by fossil fuel companies, including faulty ‘carbon capture’ schemes, that would allow polluters to keep on polluting with impunity. 

“As the world’s largest historic emitter of fossil fuel pollution, the United States has a critical responsibility to lead the global transition to clean energy. President Biden must step up now and act. He should start by halting oil and gas exports and rapidly curtailing drilling and fracking on public lands. Nothing less should be considered an adequate response to the deepening crisis we face.”