Governance & Policy

UAE Consensus

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Definition

The UAE Consensus is the package of decisions adopted at COP28 in Dubai (December 2023), centred on the outcome of the first Global Stocktake. Its landmark language called on parties to contribute to "transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner" — the first time a UNFCCC decision addressed fossil fuels by name — alongside calls to triple renewable capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030, operationalisation of the loss and damage fund, and the framework for the global goal on adaptation.

References

unfccc.intBulk import source

Source imported for editorial provenance.

UNFCCCGlobal Stocktake (Article 14 basis; three phases; first GST concluded at COP28 in 2023, every five years thereafter; modalities in Decision 19/CMA.1)

This reference provides supporting context for how “UAE Consensus” is defined and used.

Overview

How it is used

The package structures NDC updates (2025 round), fossil fuel phase-out debates, the adaptation framework's development, and stocktake cycle planning.

Why it matters

The UAE Consensus is the closest the world has come to a fossil fuel sunset clause — imperfect, voluntary, but unprecedented.