UN Climate talks in final push for fossil fuel agreement

As the UN climate talks approach their conclusion on Monday, negotiators strive to sway an increasingly isolated Saudi Arabia and other resistant nations towards supporting a groundbreaking phase-out of fossil fuels.

With 24 hours remaining before COP28 concludes in Dubai, expectations rise for a new draft deal in the morning, hoping to find the right language to achieve a consensus among nearly 200 countries.

COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber, head of the UAE’s national oil company, urges countries to wrap up discussions on time on Tuesday, coinciding with the anniversary of the 2015 Paris Agreement’s ambitious target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Despite Saudi Arabia and Iraq opposing a move away from fossil fuels, veteran climate campaigners express optimism that the world is on the brink of a historic deal.

Facing pressure, Al Jaber, whose role as an oil executive raises concerns among climate campaigners, must make final edits to a deal that could establish a consensus. In an attempt to find common ground, Al Jaber invited ministers to share their positions during a traditional Gulf Arab meeting on Sunday.

Negotiators have yet to produce a new draft agreement since Friday, with the document presenting four paths out of fossil fuels and the fifth option of omitting the issue from the final deal. China, initially viewed as hostile to a phase-out, has worked towards a compromise, recalling a joint statement with the United States on accelerating the deployment of renewable energy.

The Friday draft deal emphasizes the need to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 to displace fossil fuel-based energy. Countries await a new draft before committing their negotiating efforts, according to a source close to the COP28 presidency.