COP28 Nations Reach Agreement to Move Away From Fossil Fuels

Delegates at the United Nations' COP28 Climate Change Conference reached an agreement to transition away "from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner."

The Details: COP28 President Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber of the United Arab Emirates gaveled approval of the agreement on Wednesday. It calls for tripling renewable energy use and doubling energy efficiency by 2030, with the goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

How the Media Covered it: Some left-rated sources focused more on loopholes in the agreement. New York Times (Lean Left bias) highlighted how the deal "still gives energy-exporting giants like Saudi Arabia plenty of leeway to continue drilling and presents countries and investors with the huge challenge of how to fund a green-energy shift over the next few years." Fox Business (Lean Right) focused on how al-Jaber "acted quickly" to approve the deal and left "no time for critics to engage in floor debate." One opinion from Reason (Lean Right) said "the world is very unlikely to achieve such steep cuts during the next six years," and even if it does pass through "the 1.5 C target, it will not be plunging to its death over a climate cliff."

Why the Difference? People on the right are generally more skeptical of climate change mitigation efforts, viewing them as overly costly and the entire issue as exaggerated. People on the left generally support mitigation efforts but are skeptical about large countries holding up their end of the deal.