In an eleventh-hour concession that will allow for a joint agreement to proceed, climate change will only apply to those who want it, with nations able to opt out of global warming if it does not fit with their plans for the future.
A draft statement released at the COP28 Dubai summit this morning included the addition of an asterisk after the term ‘climate change’, with a footnote explaining that it was now optional.
“This is a sensible, measured approach that will allow for progress on climate change to occur. Nations will be able to accept a level of climate change that is appropriate to them, rather than having to receive the full amount,” summit president Sultan al-Jaber said.
Many countries welcomed the compromise, such as the Saudi Arabia delegation, which said it would opt out of climate change for now.
