COP28 calls on the world to "transition" away from fossil fuels
Nearly 200 countries launched a historic call on Wednesday for an energy "transition" away from fossil fuels.
This transition away from the energy sources that have caused global warming must be accelerated "in this crucial decade", the text explained.
The goal is to reach 2050 with a "neutral" balance of greenhouse gas emissions, as stipulated in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
"We have laid the groundwork for historic transformational change," declared conference chairman Sultan al-Jaber of the UAE, to applause from the audience.
Countries had to negotiate a day beyond the official close of COP28 to reach an agreement.
Eight years after the Paris Agreement, the international community says it must prepare to leave behind the energy sources that have allowed it the greatest economic growth in history.
A day to be happy about
"The era of fossil fuels must end and it must end with justice and equity," UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement.
"In a world shaken by war in Ukraine and the Middle East, there is reason for optimism," said US climate envoy John Kerry.
The hard-negotiated text "calls on parties to contribute" to a list of climate actions, "in accordance with their national circumstances".
"It is essential that developed countries take the lead" and "ensure the necessary means for developing countries", explained Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva.
The text proposes "tripling renewable energy capacity" and "doubling average energy efficiency" by 2030.
The energy transition must be "fair, orderly and equitable", the text acknowledges.
More than 80% of greenhouse gas emissions come from oil, gas and coal.
But this mix of fuels also accounts for the vast majority of the energy we consume on a daily basis.
The term "transition away" used in the text is ambiguous and subject to interpretation, experts acknowledged.
The goal is 2050, but it does not make it clear that by that date, a key date in the climate battle calendar, countries will have totally abandoned their dependence on fossil fuels.
What the international community reiterates is that by mid-century it must achieve a balance between the CO2 it sends into the atmosphere and the CO2 it retains ("carbon neutrality").
Divergent voices
The general mood in the Dubai convention centre was one of weariness and satisfaction, but divergent voices were also heard.
"We did not recognise that fossil fuel production has to start coming down," warned Colombian Minister Susana Muhamad, whose country announced in Dubai that it was joining a coalition of countries pledging to stop investing in oil exploitation.
The text represents a "step forward" but "does not provide the balance needed to strengthen global action", reacted the Alliance of Small Island States, threatened by rising waters.
Unfulfilled promises
The Emirati presidency organised a huge conference in Dubai, with more than 80,000 delegates, a record number.
COP28 got off to a good start on 30 November, when countries agreed, after barely a year of negotiations, on a damage and loss fund for the countries most affected by climate change.
Despite all the pledges, the world is steadily increasing its greenhouse gas emissions, and experts warn that between now and 2030, the reduction commitments proposed in Dubai will only represent a third of the necessary sacrifice.
The planet experienced its hottest year on record in 2023, say climatologists.