Cop28 has ended with a global pledge to move away from fossil fuels.
The 28th annual gathering of the Conference of Parties (Cop) brought together world leaders in an effort to address critical climate issues.
This year, the Cop28 conference was held in the UAE and world leaders from the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, to the Indian PM, Narendra Modi, were among the delegates. There were notable absences, including the US president, Joe Biden, and China's president, Xi Jinping.
While the UN climate conference aims to secure collective efforts to protect the planet, this year's event wasn't without controversy. Activists protested throughout the Dubai conference, despite UAE restrictions on demonstrations, and one environmental activist stormed on stage with a sign reading "end fossil fuels". Other demonstrators staged protests demanding for pro-democracy activists to be released from the UAE and Egypt.
December 12 is the climate summit's final day so now it is time to implement the agreements and decisions made. Many will be wondering what exactly has been achieved, so let's take a look.
What was the purpose of Cop28?
The Cop28 UN Climate Change Conference is one of the most important annual climate change events. It is held in a different country each year and its goal is to find solutions to the problems caused by climate change. It aims to keep the rate of global warming below 1.5C. Other goals include helping nations embrace a green transition and establish impactful national climate plans.
Throughout the conference, several panel discussions, speeches and meetings took place as delegates sought common ground and tried to devise frameworks on climate issues.
Held in Dubai this year between November 30 and December 12, Cop28 hosted an estimated 70,000 people, including politicians, business leaders, activists, journalists and indigenous leaders.
Many were surprised that the UAE was selected to host this year's event, given that the region is a major oil exporter.
Has anything been agreed at Cop28?
The landmark announcement made at the end of this year's Cop28 was a global agreement to move away from fossil fuel use. Another major agreement was to triple renewable energy capacities by 2030.
Reports claimed there were intense overnight discussions on Tuesday about the wording of the draft agreement because of concerns about the motives of the petrostates involved.
The reaction to these agreements has been mixed. Many welcomed the news as a step in the right direction but were cautious about how impactful it will actually be.
Some representatives have already pointed out problems with the draft agreement. The Alliance of Small Island States claimed there was a "a litany of loopholes" in the Cop28 agreement, suggesting it is far from "transformational".
Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, the climate and energy leader at the WWF, said about the announcement: “The Earth is down but not out, as countries agree to transition away from fossil fuels but fall short of consensus on the full phase-out of coal, oil and gas at Cop28. We are still way off course to limit global warming to 1.5C and avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis. In this critical decade, all countries must enhance the ambition and implementation of climate action.”
Dan Jorgensen, the Danish minister for climate and energy, said: "We're standing here in an oil country, surrounded by oil countries, and we made the decision saying let's move away from oil and gas."
What happens now?
As the delegates travel back to their respective countries, all eyes will now be on the next steps. Although the commitments made at Cop28 are a pathway toward curbing emissions, the real test will be turning them into tangible action that ends the fossil fuel era.
Some will see the outcomes of Cop28 as a compromise, failing to ultimately call for a phase out of fossil fuels as many had hoped. However, others have argued it is the first real global acknowledgment of the need to shift away from fossil fuels.
What has been agreed in the wording is a "transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade".
This may come in the form of increased investment in climate-resilient development and economic initiatives and further protection and investment for developing nations more exposed to climate change.
Some leaders have outlined that more focus is likely to be placed on technology that can help facilitate a transition to a greener future, as well as research and development into carbon capture initiatives.
In one year's time, delegates will reconvene at Cop29, which reportedly might be held in another oil-rich nation, Azerbaijan.
