“Without a rapid and equitable exit from fossil fuels, it will be impossible to meet the 1,5ºC limit,” Thunberg said at a press conference in Bonn, Germany.
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The young activist was referring to the more ambitious warming ceiling set for 2100 in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
“If we are unable to (exit fossil fuels), this will be a death sentence for many people”, added the Swedish activist on the sidelines of the UN-mediated climate negotiations – six months before the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP28) , which will take place in Dubai.
Big oil and gas groups, however, argue that the world has other ways to reduce emissions or their effects besides eliminating the use of fossil fuels.
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The president of this year's COP28 will be Sultan al Jaber, president of the United Arab Emirates oil company, ADNOC. The designation provoked much criticism from environmentalists.
In the German city of Bonn, Kenyan activist Eric Njuguna said that entrusting the COP28 presidency to the CEO of an oil company is like allowing “a mosquito to lead the fight against malaria”.
Environmentalists are pushing for a faster expansion of renewable energy and a move away from fossil fuels (gas, oil and coal) due to their significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
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Al Jaber acknowledged last week that it will be “inevitable” to reduce the use of fossil fuels.
