The world just made it clear the fossil fuel era is ending
More than any climate deal before it, the new pact reflects a recognition that the world is doing more harm than good by prolonging the era of coal, oil and gas.
Breaking a deadlock that had hindered climate talks for three decades, nations struck a deal this week that calls for tackling the root cause of the climate crisis: fossil fuels.
The final agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai, known as COP28, explicitly recommends “transitioning away from fossil fuels” such as oil, gas and coal that are dangerously heating Earth. That pledge – an obvious step, given the science – is nonetheless a breakthrough for the UN climate talks, which require consensus on a final agreement. It also comes after several big countries fought furiously to preserve their right to extract wealth from under layers of earth.
