Nations strike deal at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels

Representatives gather, on the day of COP28 draft deal negotiations, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 12, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky

DUBAI (Reuters) -Representatives from nearly 200 countries agreed at the COP28 climate summit on Wednesday to begin reducing global consumption of fossil fuels to avert the worst of climate change, a first of its kind deal signaling the eventual end of the oil age.

The deal struck in Dubai after two weeks of hard-fought negotiations was meant to send a powerful signal to investors and policy-makers that the world is united in its desire to break with fossil fuels, something scientists say is the last best hope to stave off climate catastrophe.