Al Gore speaks during a Q&A following a special screening of “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” at Event Cinemas Bondi Junction on July 10, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
The former U.S. Vice President Al Gore said Tuesday that the rules governing how countries make joint decisions at the United Nations’ annual climate summit, COP, has to change in order to make meaningful progress on phasing out fossil fuels.
The change would limit the influence of oil-producing nations from blocking any joint deals or agreements that might move the needle on climate change. Right now, the 195 countries in attendance have to all agree on any resolutions.
Gore made the remarks at the COP28 summit, which is ongoing in Dubai.
“The situation that leaves our world community in is that we have to beg for permission from the petrostates [oil-producing nations]” to “protect the future of humanity,” Gore said.
And in most cases, he said, their answer is “no, sorry.”
Indeed, a major point of contention this year is over agreeing to the “phase-out” or “phase down” of fossil fuels — Saudi Arabia, a major oil producer, has already said it will not agree to the “phase-out” language.
Gore plans to challenge the current rules ahead of next year’s summit. To do that, he would need to submit a proposal to the U.N. at least six months before COP29 and get a supermajority of nations to sign on to the proposed changes.
Gore acknowledged that this would be “extremely difficult,” but “the stakes are so high we have to try every strategy.”
