COP deal welcome but lacks language on human rights

It is more than welcome that the climate deal struck in Dubai makes clear the need to transition away from fossil fuels. However, it falls short of what is needed to guide resolute climate action, not least timelines and responsibilities of who needs to do what. Worryingly, it also lacks a clear human rights perspective, Swedwatch concludes in a first analysis on the outcome of COP28.

“The recent IPCC reports as well as the findings of the Global Stocktake show that current climate policies are insufficient to stay within the global warming limits of the Paris Agreement. Despite this, the climate deal fails to provide countries with clear guidance on how to move away from fossil fuels”, says Davide Maneschi, climate program officer at Swedwatch.

Another worrying element is the near absence of human rights language throughout the text, including in the parts calling for an increase in renewable energy. This includes lack of language on participation and direct access to finance, which is further problematic in the context of a COP taking place in a country with non-existent civil society, and where new charges were pressed against political detainees in the UAE during COP.

Davide Maneschi, Programme Officer at Swedwatch, highlights the need for strong human rights safeguards at a COP28 session about climate finance.

“It is also problematic that the text, referring to “energy systems”, once again places focus on the use rather than the production of fossil fuels, an aspect that would badly need to be regulated. On finance, the outcome fell short of ensuring that robust financial arrangements are in place to support the transition, although it recognizes the gap between ambitions and available finance.”

Even though the outcome is not enough to bring about transformative climate action, the text is finally clear, and in a way unprecedented, on the need to transition away from fossil fuels. It also has some other positive elements, such as an explicit mention of the phasedown of coal and reference to the reduction of non-carbon emissions, especially methane.

“It is now up to the individual countries, especially those who supported a phase out of fossil fuels at COP, to enact human-rights based and resolute climate policies to make sure the goals of the Paris Agreement are reached. Beside the COPs, countries have a responsibility under international human rights law to address climate change, as the impacts of climate change are already infringing on the enjoyment human rights.”