U.N. climate summit inks deal committing to move away from fossil fuel use

Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Leaders at the COP28 United Nations climate summit in Dubai reached a historic deal early Wednesday that calls on countries to transition away from the use of fossil fuels for the first time.

The final text of the "global stocktake" of progress in implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement, agreed to after all-night negotiations, stops short of calling for the phasing out of fossil fuels which which had been a major sticking point.

Many countries wanted a commitment to stop using oil, gas and coal but it was opposed by oil-producing nations.

Instead, the agreement calls for rapid, sustained cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius through a "just, orderly and equitable transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems," with accelerating action this decade to reach net zero by 2050.

It also calls for a tripling of renewable energy capacity globally and doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030, accelerating efforts toward the phase-down of unabated coal power, accelerating efforts toward net zero emission energy systems by switching to zero- and low-carbon fuels "well before or by around 2050."

COP 28 President Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, hailing the deal as a "comprehensive response" to climate change, representing a "robust action plan to keep 1.5 degrees Celsius in reach" said it was the basis to "make transformational change happen."

"We have delivered a paradigm shift that has the potential to redefine our economies," al-Jaber told delegates from 197 countries plus the European Union.

But he stressed that how the deal was implemented was crucial.

"We are what we do, not what we say," he said.

The United States' Special Envoy for Climate, John Kerry, expressed satisfaction with the outcome, even if there were shortcomings.

"While nobody here will see their views completely reflected, the fact is that this document sends a very strong signal to the world. We have to adhere to keeping 1.5 degrees Celsius in reach. In particular, it states that our next [nationally determined commitments] will be aligned with 1.5 degrees Celsius."

However, there was concern the agreement does not go far enough on fossil fuel use and lacked a mechanism for raising the funds to help developing countries transition away using using and producing fossil fuels.

U.N Secretary-General Antonio Guterres accused countries that fought against a stronger commitment on fossil fuels of burying their heads in the sand.

"To those who opposed a clear reference to phase out of fossil fuels during the COP Climate Conference, I want to say: Whether you like it or not, fossil fuel phase-out is inevitable," he wrote in a post on X.

"Let's hope it doesn't come too late."

Representing 39 island nations in The Pacific, Caribbean and African, Indian Ocean and South China Sea, the Alliance of Small Island States complained Al Jaber gaveled through the deal while its team was out of the hall and said the process had failed the nations most at risk from climate change and that the deal was "full of loopholes."

"We have made an incremental advancement over business as usual when what we really needed is an exponential step change in our actions and support," said lead negotiator Anne Rasmussen of Samoa.

She, however, said she had not mounted a formal objection to the decision to adopt the final text because it also contained many positive elements.