‘Historic’ COP28 deal to ‘transition away’ from fossil fuels adopted
Governments have agreed for the first time ever to “transition away” from fossil fuels to avert the worst effects of climate change, in an “historic” agreement from the COP28 climate summit.
The UN’s climate body, UNFCCC, published the draft text of the deal early on Wednesday morning after negotiations had run well into the small hours in Dubai.
Host nation the United Arab Emirates then quickly rushed it through a closing plenary session, facing no objections.
“Let us finish what we have started,” said COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber, as the room erupted in applause.
“We have language on fossil fuels in our final agreement for the first time ever.” He called it “historic”.
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The deal is not legally-binding, but calls on all countries to move away from the use of fossil fuels, for the first time in almost 30 years of COP climate summits.
It does not satisfy the small island states like Samoa and the Marshall Islands who led an earlier push to “phase out” all fossil fuels, which would have been stronger than the “transition away” that was finally agreed.
It also contained loopholes that upset critics, such as allowing a role for “transitional fuels” like gas.
But it still is a big leap forward from anything previously agreed at a COP climate summit.
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Sky News’ climate reporter Victoria Seabrook was inside the closing session of COP28 and said there were “emotional” scenes.
“There were hugs, there were tears. I saw the US climate envoy John Kerry hugging the German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock.
“There was a round of applause for the Marshall Islands who were really one of the leading voices calling for this transition away from fossil fuels.”
She added: “Of course, this document does not dictate our entire energy future, but it’s a turning point.
“It’s a very clear signal to countries, to markets, to financiers, about the direction we are going in.”
Mr Kerry has given a news conference where he said there were “times in the last 48 hours when some of us thought (efforts to reach a deal) could fail”.
Taking aim at some COP28 members, he said “not every country is stepping up” and he is “not convinced” a transition to a no-carbon economy will be done quick enough to avoid the “worst consequences” of climate change.
Mr Kerry earlier said the deal sends a “clear, unambiguous message” about “transitioning away from fossil fuels”.
However, he added it “doesn’t mean you have everything solved overnight”.
“I really feel like we’re turning a corner, it’s a big ship you have to turn,” Mr Kerry said.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, has welcomed the COP28 agreement, hailing it a “global turning point”.
She specifically praised the adopted special fund for poor nations hurt by climate change.
Meanwhile, the UN’s climate chief Simon Stiell said earlier that the COP28 deal is the “beginning of the end” for fossil fuels, adding there have been some “genuine strides forward” at the summit. However, he warned the initiatives are “not a finish line”.
Joab Okanda, senior climate adviser for Christian Aid, said: “We may not have driven the nail into the coffin here at COP28, but the end is coming for dirty energy.”
However, he said there is a “gaping hole” in the money needed to actually fund the transition from dirty to clean energy in developing countries, meaning the shift will be slower than needed.
The deal specifically calls for “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner… so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science”.
The document recognises “the need for deep, rapid and sustained reductions in GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions in line with 1.5C pathways” and calls upon nations to take notice.
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Saudi Arabia had fought hardest against a fossil fuel phase out, afraid for the future of its oil-based economy.
But developing nations like India and Bolivia were also afraid about making a commitment that could compromise their development, without the finance to make the leap to clean energy.
Eventually the calls from the likes of the small islands, the High Ambition Coalition of developed and vulnerable nations, the UK and the EU for an end to fossil fuels were so noisy overnight that they almost drowned out objections.
Climate deal signals fossil fuels era is coming to an end – but not fast enough
The deal passed almost immediately. It is quite remarkable.
I have been to a lot of these summits and I have never seen one end as quickly and as painlessly as that.
And it did, quickly. It is a remarkable agreement.
For the 30 years this climate summit process has been going on there has been no formal recognition of the fact if we are going to avoid the most dangerous climate change we have to phase out our use of fossil fuels.
That specific language – phasing them out – didn’t quite make it.
It was probably never going to in a region or in a text dominated by fossil fuels – but it did pass, with some slight watering down.
But the headline agreement was how we are going to continue efforts globally to get 1.5C of global warming – hopefully no more than that – by the middle of this century.
What was agreed today was a big step forward. It mentioned fossils fuels. It clearly said they have got to go if we are going to get there.
But there were big caveats – “cavernous loopholes” described by some NGOs, that really allow quite a lot of wriggle room.
For example, they describe the importance of transition fuels, and what does that mean? Well, that’s natural gas – a little offering there for the rich and gas-rich countries to continue their work.
As things currently stand this agreement only takes us about 30% of the way to getting to avoiding 1.5C of global warming, according to the independent International Energy Agency.
So we are definitely not there yet, but it’s a big step forward.
Historic? Yes, the deal mentions fossil fuels.
But possibly historic for the wrong reasons: this was a missed opportunity to phase them out fast enough to avoid that dangerous global warming this process is all about.
The text also makes a nod to “differentiated” responsibility for countries with different means.
The actions in the deal include:
• Tripling renewable energy capacity globally and doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030
• Rapidly phasing down unabated coal and limiting the permitting of new and unabated coal power generation
• Accelerating efforts globally towards net zero emissions energy systems, utilising zero and low carbon fuels well before or by around mid-century
• Transitioning away from fossil fuels in our energy systems, beginning in this decade, in a just, orderly and equitable manner so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science
• Accelerating zero and low emissions technologies, including renewables, nuclear, abatement and removal technologies, such as carbon capture and utilisation and storage particularly in hard to abate sectors, and low carbon hydrogen production, so as to enhance efforts towards substitution of unabated fossil fuels in energy systems
• Accelerating and substantially reducing non-CO2 emissions, including, in particular, methane emissions globally by 2030;
• Accelerating emissions reductions from road transport through a range of pathways, including development of infrastructure and rapid deployment of zero emission vehicles
• Phasing out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that do not address energy poverty or just transitions, as soon as possible.
Then, the United Arab Emirates-led presidency, fronted by Sultan al Jaber presented delegates from nearly 200 nations a new central document – called the global stocktake – just after sunrise in Dubai.
Some of the language in previous versions of the draft that most upset nations calling for dramatic action to address climate change was altered.
Actions that had previously been presented as an optional “could” changed to a bit more direct “calls on parties to”.
After a quick debrief, Union of Concerned Scientists climate and energy policy director Rachel Cleetus said it was “definitely an improvement” over earlier versions that environmental advocacy groups like hers had massively criticised.
The aim of the global stocktake is to help nations align their national climate plans with the Paris Agreement.
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The COP29 climate talks have reached a last ditch deal on cash for developing countries, pulling the summit back from the brink of collapse after a group of countries stormed out of a negotiating room earlier.
The slew of deals finally signed off in the small hours of Sunday morning in Azerbaijan includes one that proved hardest of all – one about money.
Eventually the more than 190 countries in Baku agreed a target for richer polluting countries such as the UK, EU and Japan to drum up $300bn a year by 2035 to help poorer nations both curb and adapt to climate change.
It is a far cry from the $1.3trn experts say is needed, and from the $500bn that vulnerable countries like Uganda had said they would be willing to accept.
But in the end they were forced to, knowing they could not afford to live without it, nor wait until next year to try again, when a Donald Trump presidency would make things even harder.
Bolivia’s lead negotiator Diego Pacheco called it an “insult”, while the Marshall Islands’ Tina Stege said it was “not nearly enough, but it’s a start”.
UN climate chief Simon Stiell said: “This new finance goal is an insurance policy for humanity, amid worsening climate impacts hitting every country.
“No country got everything they wanted, and we leave Baku with a mountain of work still to do. So this is no time for victory laps.”
The funding deal was clinched more than 24 hours into overtime, and against what felt like all the odds.
The talks were rocked from the start by the incoming presidency of climate denier Mr Trump, the moment Argentina’s team were recalled back to Buenos Aires by their right-wing president and a controversial letter that sent shockwaves through the United Nations.
Pic: AP
The fraught two weeks of negotiations pitted the anger of developing countries who are footing the bill for more dangerous weather that they did little to cause, against the tight public finances of rich countries.
A relieved Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez, climate envoy for Panama, said there is “light at the end of the tunnel”.
Just hours ago, the talks almost fell apart as furious vulnerable nations stormed out of negotiations in frustration over that elusive funding goal.
They were also angry with oil and gas producing countries, who stood accused of trying to dilute aspects of the deal on cutting fossil fuels.
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Climate-vulnerable nations storm out of talks
The UN talks work on consensus, meaning everyone has to agree for a deal to fly.
A row over how to follow up on last year’s pledge to “transition away from fossil fuels” was left unresolved and punted into next year, following objections from Chile and Switzerland for being too weak.
A draft deal simply “reaffirmed” the commitment but did not dial up the pressure in the way the UK, EU, island states and many others here wanted.
Saudi Arabia fought the hardest against any step forward on cutting fossil fuels, the primary cause of climate change that is intensifying floods, drought and fires around the world.
Governments did manage to strike a deal on carbon markets at COP29, which has been 10 years in the making and will allow countries to trade emissions cuts.
‘Not everything we wanted’
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The UK’s energy secretary, Ed Miliband, said the deal is “not everything we or others wanted”, but described it as a “step forward”.
“It’s a deal that will drive forward the clean energy transition, which is essential for jobs and growth in Britain and for protecting us all against the worsening climate crisis,” he added.
“Today’s agreement sends the signal that the clean energy transition is unstoppable.
“It is the biggest economic opportunity of the 21st century and through our championing of it we can help crowd in private investment.”
Protesters at the summit in Baku. Pic: AP
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The Azerbaijan team leading COP29 said: “Every hour of the day, we have pulled people together. Every inch of the way, we have pushed for the highest common denominator.
“We have faced geopolitical headwinds and made every effort to be an honest broker for all sides.”
At least 20 people have been killed and 66 injured in Israeli strikes on central Beirut, Lebanese authorities have said.
Lebanon‘s health ministry said the death toll could rise as emergency workers dig through the rubble looking for survivors. DNA tests are being used to identify the victims, the ministry added.
The attack destroyed an eight-storey residential building and badly damaged several others around it in the Basta neighbourhood at 4am (2am UK time) on Saturday.
The central Basta neighbourhood in Beirut
The Israeli military did not warn residents to evacuate before the attack and has not commented on the casualties.
At least four bombs were dropped in the attack – the fourth targeting the city centre this week.
A separate drone strike in the southern port city of Tyre this morning killed two people and injured three, according to the state-run National News Agency.
The victims were Palestinian refugees from the nearby al Rashidieh camp who were out fishing, according to Mohammed Bikai, spokesperson for the Fatah Palestinian faction in the Tyre area.
Israel’s military warned residents today in parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs that they were near Hezbollah facilities, which the army would target in the near future. The warning, posted on X, told people to evacuate at least 500 metres away.
The army said that over the past day it had conducted intelligence-based strikes on Hezbollah targets in Dahiyeh, in Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a strong presence. It said it hit several command centres and weapons storage facilities.
Pic: AP
Israel has killed several Hezbollah leaders in air strikes on the capital’s southern suburbs.
Heavy fighting between Israel and Hezbollah is ongoing in southern Lebanon, as Israeli forces push deeper into the country since launching a major offensive in September.
According to the Lebanese health ministry, at least 3,670 people have been killed in Israeli attacks there, with more than 15,400 wounded.
It has displaced about 1.2 million people – a quarter of Lebanon’s population – while Israel says about 90 soldiers and nearly 50 civilians have been killed in northern Israel.
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‘Dozens’ of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrike
Meanwhile, six people, including three children and two women, were killed in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis.
Some 44,176 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, according to the Gaza health ministry.
The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has said that more than half of the fatalities are women and children.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking another 250 hostage.
US envoy Amos Hochstein was in the region this week to try to end more than 13 months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, ignited last October by the war in Gaza.
Mr Hochstein indicated progress had been made after meetings in Beirut on Tuesday and Wednesday, before going to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Israel Katz.
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