'End Fossil Fuels': 12-Year-Old Indian Climate Activist Bursts On To COP28 Stage Holding Sign, Applauded

The activist, Licypriya Kangujam, received the audience's applause. She held a sign which read: 'End fossil fuels. Save our planet and our future'.

COP28: On the penultimate day of COP28, a 12-year-old Indian climate activist stormed on to the stage of the climate summit, holding a sign which read: 'End fossil fuels. Save our planet and our future'.

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COP28: On the penultimate day of the 28th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), a 12-year-old Indian climate activist stormed on to the stage of the climate summit, holding a sign which read: 'End fossil fuels. Save our planet and our future'. The activist, Licypriya Kangujam, received the audience's applause. While she was escorted away, COP28 Director-General Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi said that he admired the enthusiasm shown by young people at COP28, according to media reports. 

Environmentalists are calling for a final COP28 deal that mentions the phase-out of fossil fuels. Several activists have expressed disdain over 'fossil fuel phase-out' not being mentioned in the draft deal released by the UNFCCC on December 11. 

The UN climate summit was scheduled to end on December 12, but due to disagreements among nations over the inclusion of fossil fuel phase-out in the final text, and a pushback from the OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) to the organisation's member countries to refrain from signing a deal that focuses on fossil fuel phase-out, COP28 has run into overtime. 

The final decision is likely to be made on December 13.

Over a period of 12 days, several major announcements from the operationalisation of the loss and damage fund, a pledge to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030, an allocation of funds to tackle methane, and other climate finance pledges were made. 

The updated version of the Global Stocktake text called for the reduction of fossil fuel consumption and production by 2050, but did not directly refer to a 'phase-out' of fossil fuels. Several climate activists have claimed that this is a regression from previous versions, and that the commitment to reduce fossil fuel consumption and production, without any mention of phase-out, is vague.

In a letter dated December 6, 2023, OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al Ghais urged OPEC Members to reject a COP28 deal that targets fossil fuels rather than emissions, Reuters reported.

UN Secretary-General Antònio Guterres has said that nations should reach an agreement on phasing-out fossil fuels because this is the key to the success of COP28.