For two weeks, top officials from the U.S. and nearly 200 other countries met in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates for a series of marathon climate meetings.
Their goal? Agreeing on a roadmap to keep Earth from overheating and help vulnerable populations adapt to a hotter planet.
For the first time, the countries agreed on language that calls for “transitioning away from fossil fuels,” the main driver of human caused climate change. But the accord at the Dubai summit stopped short of calling for a total phase out of coal, oil and gas, a priority for some countries and climate advocates.
The 28th Conference of Parties, or COP28 talks brought together countries that have joined the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Reports indicate the world will likely fail to meet the goal set in 2015 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Global greenhouse gas emissions continued to rise in 2022, and it’s nearly certain that 2023 will go down as the hottest year in recorded history.
The agreements reached in Dubai will have implications in Georgia.
Here’s what else you need to know.
A pledge to triple nuclear
Though the world now relies more on renewables like wind and solar power, nuclear energy is still responsible for roughly 10% of the global electricity supply. Many experts think adding more greenhouse gas-free nuclear energy is key to preventing even more dangerous levels of global warming.
The U.S. and 21 other countries pledged to work together to develop enough new reactors to triple global nuclear capacity by 2050. The declaration says that nuclear must grow for the planet to reach net-zero emissions.
Georgia is central to America’s hopes of reviving the industry. Plant Vogtle near Augusta is home to the first two new reactors built from scratch in the U.S. in more than 30 years.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Vogtle, however, has been dogged by cost overruns and delays. The total cost is now more than $35 billion, double original forecasts. Most of the added cost will fall on Georgia electricity customers.
The U.S. government and nuclear proponents have expressed hope that Vogtle would spark a nuclear renaissance, and unlock huge amounts of carbon-free energy. So far, that vision has not become reality, though some utilities have explored new reactors, and detractors point to Vogtle’s costs.
Crackdown on gas leaks
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made news during COP28 when it announced new rules aimed at limiting major gas leaks from oil and gas operations.
The U.S. power industry and Georgia’s largest utility, Georgia Power, are moving away from coal-fired power plants, the country’s dirtiest source of electricity. But as they do, many are bridging the gap — in part — by adding huge amounts of natural gas to their systems. Georgia Power has proposed an expansion of its natural gas capacity, as well as solar and battery storage systems, to help meet an increase in electricity demand the company says is coming.
Gas power plants produce fewer heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions than coal-fired ones, but extracting and transporting gas often releases huge amounts of methane — an even more potent greenhouse gas.
The new rule announced by President Joe Biden’s administration would force oil and gas producers to curtail methane leaks. The EPA estimates the combined economic and health benefits of the regulations could be worth more than $7 billion annually.
Georgia emissions buck global trend
Global greenhouse gas emissions are up, but Georgia’s appear to be down.
Analysis produced earlier this year by the climate research group Drawdown Georgia found that total greenhouse gas emissions in Georgia fell by 5% between 2017 and 2021, even as the state’s economy and population grew. On a per person basis, the emissions drop was even more significant — about 8%.
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
The group attributed most of the decrease to the growth of clean energy and the shuttering of coal power plants. Still, emissions from other sectors in Georgia remain stubbornly high.
Though more consumers are choosing electric vehicles — which produce zero tailpipe emissions — transportation emissions surpassed pre-COVID levels in 2021. Georgia has also lost some of its available carbon sinks, like forests, which pull heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and are a critical buffer against further warming.
While experts have cheered Georgia’s progress, they say deeper emissions cuts are needed to meet the international 1.5 degrees Celsius goal.
A win for solar
The COP28 agreement includes a pledge to triple renewable energy capacity globally by 2030.
It’s likely that Georgia companies will help meet that global demand, especially for solar panels.
Korean solar manufacturer Qcells recently completed an expansion of its existing plant in Dalton, which can now produce 30,000 solar panels per day.
Credit: Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@
Credit: Natrice Miller / Natrice.Miller@
The company is building a second factory in Cartersville that’s expected to employ 2,000 workers and open in 2024. The Cartersville plant will boast a fully integrated domestic supply chain for all components, from solar ingots and wafers to cells and finished panels.
Once both factories are online, Qcells says it will be able to build 8.4 gigawatts of panels each year in Georgia. That’s equal to about 40% of all the new solar capacity installed nationwide last year and enough to power 1.3 million homes.
A note of disclosure
This coverage is supported by a partnership with 1Earth Fund, the Kendeda Fund and Journalism Funding Partners. You can learn more and support our climate reporting by donating at https://www.ajc.com/donate/climate/
