COP28: Global Climate Agreement Reached in Dubai

A deal was adopted by nearly 200 nations in Dubai on December 13 to transition away from fossil fuels and accelerate action in the next decade. This marks the first mention of all fossil fuels in the history of COPs.

The agreement only addresses fossil use in energy, not industrial areas like plastics and fertilizers. It endorses work towards a phase-down of “unabated coal power,” meaning coal with carbon capture technology could continue.

The final version of the deal aims to net zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2050 and follows climate science dictates. It projects a world peaking its carbon pollution by 2025 to reach its agreed-upon threshold, but gives wiggle room for individual nations like China to peak later.

Bangladesh youth advocate Farzana Farouk Jhumu criticized the mitigation in the new text and called for funding for an equitable phaseout. Oil-rich Saudi Arabia hailed the deal as a success, while the deal also includes a call for tripling the use of renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency.