U.N. Climate Negotiators Reach Historic Agreement to Transition Away from Fossil Fuels

The United Nations climate negotiators have taken a historic step in the fight against climate change, directing the world to transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels. On Wednesday, COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber gaveled approval of the central document, which outlines how far the world is off-track its climate-fighting goals and how it is going to get back, without asking for comments.

The adopted U.N. climate deal calls for the world to transition away from fossil fuels, and is the first of its kind. Al-Jaber said the package is “enhanced, balanced, but make no mistake, a historic package to accelerate climate action.” He added that it is “a plan that is led by the science.”

The move has been met with both praise and criticism. Supporters of the agreement say it is a necessary step in the fight against climate change, while critics worry that there are too many loopholes in the agreement.

The agreement is the latest in a series of steps taken by the U.N. to combat climate change. In 2015, the U.N. adopted the Paris Agreement, which set a goal of keeping global temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.

The U.N. is now hoping that the new agreement will help to further reduce global emissions and move the world closer to its climate goals. It remains to be seen if the agreement will be successful in its mission, but it is a step in the right direction.