Massive standing ovation as COP28 approves historic deal on transition away from fossil fuels (WATCH)

United Nations climate negotiators on Wednesday issued a historic directive, urging the world to shift away from fossil fuels, a move characterized as significant by the chief of the talks, COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber. The decision came swiftly at the opening of the session when al-Jaber promptly approved the central document, the global stocktake. This document assesses the extent to which the world deviates from its climate-fighting objectives and outlines the measures to realign with those goals. The approval, executed without soliciting comments, was met with a display of solidarity as delegates stood and embraced one another.

Jaber addressed the exhausted delegates as the global stocktake text was finalized. Expressing gratitude for the collective effort, Al Jaber acknowledged the tireless work that led to a consensus.

“Through the night and the early hours, we worked collectively for consensus. The presidency listened, engaged and guided. I promised I would roll up my sleeves. I promised I would be with you. You did step up, you showed flexibility, you put common interest ahead of self interest. Let us finish what we started. Let us unite, act and now deliver. We have the basis to make transformations change happen – let us finish what we have started," Jaber said.

The adopted global stocktake text received unanimous approval, prompting applause and a sense of accomplishment in the room. Al Jaber, visibly pleased, officially confirmed the agreement with a gavel, emphasizing the basis for transformative change that had been laid.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you. We have travelled a long road together in a short amount of time. We have worked very hard to secure a better future for our people and planet. We should be proud of our historic achievements. My country, UAE, is proud of its role in helping you move forward. We have delivered a comprehensive response to the global stocktake. We have delivered a robust action plan to keep 1.5c in reach. It is a balanced plan that addresses emissions… it is built on common ground. It is strengthened by full inclusivity. It is a historic package to accelerate climate action. It is the UAE consensus," he said.

In his speech, Al Jaber commended the delegates for their dedication, emphasizing the historic achievements of the COP28. He expressed pride in the comprehensive response to the global stocktake and the robust action plan designed to keep the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach.

“Many said this could not be done. When I spoke to you at the very start, I promised a different sort of Cop, private and public sectors… everyone came together from day one. Everyone united, acted and delivered. We operationalised loss and damage and filled the fund. We delivered world first after world first," he said.

Al Jaber highlighted the inclusivity of the agreement, describing it as a balanced plan that addresses emissions and is built on common ground. He underscored the historical significance of the package, characterizing it as a comprehensive effort to accelerate global climate action.

The COP28 president emphasized the importance of turning the agreement into tangible action, cautioning that any accord is only as effective as its implementation. He urged unity among nations to collectively impact the future positively, emphasizing the crucial role inclusivity played in reaching the agreement.

“It is built on common ground, it is strengthened by full inclusivity. It is enhanced, balanced but make no mistake, a historic package. For the first time, to deliver on methane and emissions. We have language on fossil fuels in our final agreement for the first time ever. Let me sound a word of caution. Any agreement is only as good as its implementation. We are what we do, not what we say. We must turn this agreement into tangible action. If we unite, we can have a profound effect on all of our futures. Inclusivity kept us going in the difficult days. Everyone has been heard, from Indigenous peoples or youth to global south," he added.

"We have reframed the conversation around climate finance. We have intergrated the real economy into the climate challenge."

The breakthrough agreement also saw the inclusion of language addressing fossil fuels for the first time, marking a significant step toward addressing one of the primary contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

"Colleagues and friends, it has been a personal privilege to guide this conference,” says Al Jaber. “I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all that made this happen. To every country who made it a success, I say thank you. You have come in record numbers. You care deeply about the future of this wonderful planet and so do I," Jaber said.

“To my family, of whom I’ve seen far too little of this year, you inspire me and motivate me. I thank you," he added.

“Colleagues, our task was to build on the foundations of what others have built for us. Future generations may not know your names but they’ll owe every single one of your a debt of gratitude. If it wasn’t for your collective effort, we would not have been able to achieve this historic achievement. I thank you again," the COP28 president concluded.

The latest agreement emerged on Wednesday following a global call to action that gained more traction than a previous proposal, although it comes with certain loopholes that have raised concerns among critics.

The updated proposal falls short of explicitly advocating for a "phase-out" of fossil fuels, a demand supported by over 100 nations. Instead, it calls for a "transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade."

This transition aims to lead the world to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, adhering to the principles of climate science. The plan envisions a scenario where the world peaks its continually rising carbon pollution by 2025, aligning with the agreed-upon threshold. However, it allows individual nations, such as China, flexibility in determining their peak emissions timelines.

Extended negotiations involving diverse delegates extended well into the early hours of Wednesday, following dissatisfaction with the initial document from the conference presidency, which avoided making decisive calls for action on climate change. Subsequently, the United Arab Emirates-led presidency presented a new central document, the global stocktake, just after sunrise, marking the third version in about two weeks. Interestingly, the word "oil" is absent from the 21-page document, while "fossil fuels" is mentioned twice.

The Alliance of Small Island States expressed reservations in a statement, describing the text as "incremental and not transformational." They highlighted numerous loopholes that raise major concerns from their perspective.

“We needed a global signal to address fossil fuels. This is the first time in 28 years that countries are forced to deal with fossil fuels,” Center for Biological Diversity energy justice director Jean Su told The Associated Press. “So that is a general win. But the actual details in this are severely flawed.”

“The problem with the text is that it still includes cavernous loopholes that allow the United States and other fossil fuel producing countries to keep going on their expansion of fossil fuels,” Su said. “There’s a pretty deadly, fatal flaw in the text, which allows for transitional fuels to continue” which is a code word for natural gas that also emits carbon pollution.