Asia’s climate goals at risk over Cop28’s modest transition from fossil fuels: ‘we have one foot in the grave’

The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai ended on Wednesday with a message signalling the eventual end to the fossil fuel era, but its lack of a clear timeline could leave parts of developing Asia increasingly vulnerable to climate shocks, experts said.

The conference, also known as Cop28, adopted within minutes of its presentation the proposed text for a final climate deal that acknowledges for the first time the need for “transitioning away from fossil fuels” and “accelerating action in this critical decade” to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.