It took a bit to get there, but the 198 nations attending the COP28 climate summit in Dubai have, for the first time, taken explicit aim at the use of fossil fuels. To be clear, the statement does not include an explicit commitment to ‘phase out’ or even ‘phase down’ fossil fuels – what countries have agreed to is to contribute to global efforts to move “away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science”. Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen says it will send a clear message that “our future is in clean energy and the age of fossil fuels will end”, but acknowledged it did not go as far as many countries wanted. Pacific Island nations are among the disappointed – they say the deal was rushed through without them, and a commitment to phase out fossil fuels is what’s needed.