COP28 fossil fuel debate sizzles as world marks record hot year

With 2023 confirmed to be the hottest year on record by Europe’s climate monitor, the temperature was also rising on Wednesday for negotiators thrashing out the thorny issue of fossil fuels at COP28 in Dubai.

Pressure for progress is mounting as the UN climate talks near the end of their first week, with the latest draft of a global climate agreement “probably” expected Wednesday before it is finalised, in theory, on December 12, said one observer.