Washington (December 12, 2023) - Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety, released the following statement after returning from travel to the United Nations climate conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates: 

“At COP28, I called for a negotiated outcome that will send a clear signal to phase out fossil fuel consumption and production. But the United States can’t preach temperance from a bar stool, and right now, America is drunk on oil and gas production and exports. Unfortunately, we are not alone at the bar. OPEC and its cronies are wielding their influence over the negotiations to keep the fossil fuel spigot open. COP is at risk of being known as the Conference of Oil Pushers. It is more important than ever that the U.S. effectively leads on a clean energy future. We must build on the success of the Inflation Reduction Act, end approvals of new infrastructure for fossil fuels of the past, and keep our promise to end public financing of international unabated fossil fuel projects. It’s time to close the oil-soaked tab and invest in a clean energy future.”

Photos of Senator Markey and the congressional delegation at COP28 can be found HERE.

This month, Senator Markey and his colleagues sent a letter to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan urging the Biden administration to meet its Glasgow Statement pledge by publicly releasing concrete plans and more information on how the United States will end all public financing support of unabated fossil fuel projects overseas, a step Senator Markey and his colleagues initially called for in December 2022. Last month, as COP28 began, Senator Markey and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) led 32 of their colleagues in a letter to President Joe Biden urging the Administration to support stronger national climate action commitments to the Paris climate agreement, a negotiated outcome for a full phase-out of fossil fuels, and transparency and stronger standards to prevent public financing for international fossil fuel projects. 

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