READ IN FULL: Newest draft of COP28 agreement released

Organisers of COP28 on Wednesday morning have released the latest draft of the summit’s agreement, which now needs to be ratified and approved by around 200 nations.

A key part of the language in this year’s draft is the need to “transition” away from fossil fuels, rather than scaling down or phasing out of fossil fuels.

This is also the top-line take from Reuters this morning:

The COP28 Presidency released a proposed text of a final climate deal on Wednesday that would, for the first time, push nations to transition away from fossil fuels to avert the worst effects of climate change.

The draft is meant to reflect the consensus view of nearly 200 countries gathered at the conference in Dubai, where scores of governments have insisted on strong language to signal an eventual end to the fossil fuel era – over protests from members of the oil producer group OPEC and its allies.

“It is the first time that the world unites around such a clear text on the need to transition away from fossil fuels. It has been the elephant in the room. At last we address it head on,” said Norway’s Minister for Climate and the Environment, Espen Barth Eide.

You can read the full draft below:

READ MORE: Groundbreaking COP28 proposal calls for ‘transitioning away from fossil fuels’