Zero and Oikos press Portugal to define fossil fuels

Aenvironmental organizations Zero and Oikos today asked Portugal for a timetable to abandon fossil fuels and a multiannual climate finance plan, just days from the beginning 31.a United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP31).

The two organizations, which today held an online briefing on expectations for COP31, argued in a statement that Portugal set a date for the end of fossil gas in electricity production.

They also ask for consistency in the application of the Climate Bases Act, pointing out that the Climate Action Council is not yet operational and that the roadmap to anticipate carbon neutrality for 2045 remains to be presented.

The organizations call for the Government of Portugal to support the creation of a Lusófono Fund for Climate and to extend the conversion of debt into climate investment to other Portuguese-speaking countries, starting with São Tomé and Príncipe, after the experience with Cape Verde.

“ I don’t expect a COP of big announcements, but Antália has to prove that climate multilateralism still produces concrete results,” said Zero’s president, Francisco Ferreira, referring to his global expectations for COP31.

The two organisations want this to be the “COP of implementation”.

“As regards the abandonment of fossil fuels, Dubai decided what; Santa Marta began to discuss how; Antália has to start responding to when,” he said, referring to COP28, held in Dubai in 2023, to the conference on the transition away from fossil fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia.

“ While oil companies record profit, the most vulnerable countries are waiting for a Loss and Damage Fund that has not yet disbursed a cent,” said José Luís Monteiro, Oikos project coordinator.

The two organizations will be present at COP31, which will take place from 9 to 20 November in Antalia, Turkey, to monitor the negotiations and maintain contact with the Portuguese delegation

Zero and Oikos They advocate that countries present national roadmaps to respect the 1.5 degrees Celsius heating limit, with developed countries leading the process.

Among the priorities highlighted are also the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies and the strengthening of adaptation funding by favouring grants that do not exacerbate the debt of the most vulnerable countries.

COP31 should address the gap between an increasingly evident climate crisis and an international response that is advancing, but not at the necessary pace.

Unlike other climate summits, this year’s does not point to a big announcement, but rather to achieve agreed issues.

Moving from promises to action is, therefore, one of the mottos of COP31, first copied by two countries: Turkey and Australia.