UN secretary-general urges fossil fuel phase-out: ‘We are in a race against time’

Antonio Guterres is urging Cop28 to reach a consensus on fossil fuel phase-out with just a day left at the conference.

The UN secretary-general warned global leaders in Dubai on 11 December, saying: “We are in a race against time...our planet is minutes to midnight for the 1.5-degree limit, and the clock keeps ticking.”

The phasing out or down of fossil fuels has emerged as the central issue over Cop28.

Countries have been cautioned that current pledges will not be enough to limit global heating to 1.5C and that more must be done.