Denmark, Costa Rica seek alliance to speed up the end of oil and gas

(Reuters, 25 Aug 2021) So far there has been no collective government action to end oil and gas production - but the new grouping aims to enlist countries willing to set a date to phase out the fossil fuels.

Denmark and Costa Rica are trying to forge an alliance of countries willing to fix a date to phase out oil and gas production and to stop giving permits for new exploration, government ministers said and documents showed.

Burning fossil fuels is the main source of the greenhouse gas emissions heating the planet, but so far there has been no collective government action to end oil and gas production.

"Restricting domestic oil and gas production in line with what is required to live up to the Paris Agreement goals will be the core focus for BOGA," a draft of the rules for the alliance said, referring to the group's name - the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA).

Industry and governments are moving too slowly to meet the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7° Fahrenheit), which scientists say requires the world to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

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Reuters, 25 Aug 2021: Denmark, Costa Rica seek alliance to speed up the end of oil and gas