“Net-Zero Tyranny”

At COP-28 in Dubai this week, weary international delegates and environmental activists celebrated a “historic breakthrough” in negotiations to stop global warming. For the first time in 32 years of negotiations, an agreement mentions “transitioning away from fossil fuels.”

“Officials from around the globe suggested the deal is an important step towards ending the use of fossil fuels,” Aljazeera reported. Other news outlets called it a landmark and historic development. America’s climate envoy, John Kerry, said the words send “very strong messages to the world.”

He’s correct, but not for the reason he meant. The message is that expectations for these annual conferences are so low that even the most inescapable aspiration is reason to cheer.

Trillions have been spent on renewables yet they still provide less than 10% of global energy

COP28, the 28th “Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change,” which just concluded in Dubai, had as one of its central themes the need to promote the energy transition by spending more on renewable energy. But what have been the results of such spending up to now?

Canada’s environment minister hailed a “monumental” deal on Wednesday to close out COP28, the first time the United Nations climate summit of nearly 200 countries agreed to transition away from fossil fuels.

The agreement approved in Dubai was welcomed by some observers as a historic turning point in global climate negotiations and stronger than a draft floated earlier in the week.

But many warned of what they saw as loopholes and distractions included in the agreement that could undermine the action needed to meet the global commitment to keep temperature rise to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial times.

Guilebeault acts like a deranged Skipper barking out orders while oblivious to his sinking ship.

OTTAWA — Canada spent $140,000 to send federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and his entourage to a two-day Chinese government international policy convention in Beijing this past August.

So, a deal has been reached. The world has agreed on what Cop 28 president Sultan al-Jaber has called a ‘robust action to keep 1.5 Celsius in reach’. The world is to ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels.

And meanwhile, back in the real world?

Ottawa has committed to spending $200 billion to fight climate change, but some economists say it may not be taxpayer money well spent.

The federal government announced earlier this year clean energy investment tax credits worth more than $60 billion. Combined with the billions in subsidies for the electric vehicle industry and many other clean energy initiatives, the final tally is approximately $200 billion, Environment Minister Steve Guilbeault said.