A new deal has been agreed at the UN climate summit in Dubai this morning after days of negotiations.

For the first time, the deal calls on all countries to move away from the use of fossil fuels - but not to phase them out, something many governments wanted.

John Kerry, the USA's climate envoy, says everyone should be pleased with the deal, considering the challenges posed by the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza conflict.

He said it was a "historic" moment and that pledging to transition away from fossil fuels is a huge achievement, even though "many, many people" would have used different words

COP28 president Sultan al-Jaber says the deal offers a "comprehensive response" to climate change, representing a "robust action plan to keep 1.5C in reach".

"Together we have confronted realities and we have set the world in the right direction," he says.

This deal gavelled through this morning runs to 21 pages and nearly 200 paragraphs. It is not a legally-binding document - but it shows the path forward for countries on climate change.

The key takeaway points are:

  • Countries will "contribute... to transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner". This is the first time there has been a clear reference to the future of all fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) in a COP text. It doesn't include any wording on the "phase out of fossil fuels" - something many governments wanted
  • There is a recognition that global emissions will likely peak before 2025 - and that for developing nations this may be later
  • On adaptation and finance, the language appears to have been weakened, with the text "reiterating" rather than "requesting" developed countries give support to vulnerable nations facing climate change

This is a breaking story - you can follow the latest here.


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