• For the first time in nearly three decades, government ministers from nearly 200 countries on Wednesday approved a deal that calls on countries to move away from using fossil fuels.
• Civil society groups and scientists were left disappointed by the absence of an explicit call to phase out or phase down fossil fuels, while a bloc of small island nations criticized what they characterized as a “litany of loopholes.”
• A “phase-out” commitment would likely have required a shift away from fossil fuels until their use is eliminated, while a “phase down” agreement would have indicated a reduction in their use — but not an absolute end.
• U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said Wednesday that the COP28 agreement “sends very strong messages to the world.”

Tagged: Climate