Key Learnings from the U.N. Climate Summit in Dubai and the Groundbreaking Fossil Fuel Agreement

The 2023 U.N. climate summit, known as COP28, ended last week in Dubai after overtime negotiations dragged out the signing of the final agreement. Since then, policymakers, analysts, and activists have debated whether the deal, which calls for “transitioning away” from—but not phasing out—fossil fuels, is a historic breakthrough or a failure for global climate action. The 2023 U.N. climate summit, known as COP28, ended last week in Dubai after overtime negotiations dragged out the signing of the final agreement. Since then, policymakers, analysts, and activists have debated whether the deal, which calls for “transitioning away” from—but not phasing out—fossil fuels, is a historic breakthrough or a failure for global climate action. This selection of FP’s coverage of COP28 dives into that debate but also examines other takeaways from the summit, including what it revealed about the underlying obstacles to reaching net-zero emissions and what it meant for U.S.-China cooperation on climate. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a forum on increasing global renewable energies capacity and efficiency during COP28 in Dubai on Dec. 2. Sean Gallup/Getty Images Good COP or Bad COP? The future of fossil fuels took center stage at this year’s controversy-laden U.N. climate summit, FP’s Christina Lu writes. A woman poses in front of banners protesting against fossil fuels outside Expo City during COP28 in Dubai on Dec. 12. Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images Fossil Fuel Nations Almost Sabotaged a Climate Deal That Could Save Africa At COP28, China and Russia undercut efforts to phase out dirty energy, Nathaniel Mong’are and Abdoulie Ceesay write. Then-Secretary of State John Kerry talks with China’s special representative on climate change, Xie Zhenhua, during the COP21 climate change summit in Le Bourget, north of Paris, on Dec. 12, 2015. Xinhua News Agency/Redux Photos The Climate Envoys Who Could John Kerry and Xie Zhenhua have forged a close working relationship as the superpowers they represent have drifted apart, Lili Pike writes. A lone wind turbine spins in front of exhaust plumes from cooling towers at a coal-fired power station in Jänschwalde, Germany, on April 12, 2007.Sean Gallup/Getty Images What Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels Really Means FP’s Cameron Abadi and Adam Tooze discuss the COP28 deal. The United Nations climate change conference, which takes place from Nov. 20 until Dec. 12 in Dubai, on Nov. 30.Beata Zawrzel/Nur via Getty Images How the Fight Against Climate Change Is All About Money Rajiv Shah discusses the progress—and hurdles—toward unlocking large amounts of cash for clean energy with FP’s Ravi Agrawal.