A draft agreement at the Cop28 climate summit has for the first time called on nations to "transition away" from fossil fuels to lessen the impact of the climate crisis, though there is no commitment to do so.
The deal, known as the Global Stocktake Agreement, directly addresses the use of fossil fuels for the first time.
Representatives from nearly 200 countries agreed to the deal early on Wednesday.
While the final agreement was speedily agreed, it was criticised as being too weak due to the strongest wording that could be settled on was only to “call on parties to contribute” to a series of actions to tackle climate change, “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”.
The deal does not include any requirement to phase out or phase down fossil fuels, as many countries urged.
But there was praise for the deal overseen by Cop president Sultan Al Jaber, even if it was not perfect.
“It is the first time that the world unites around such a clear text on the need to transition away from fossil fuels,” said Norway foreign minister Espen Barth Eide. “It has been the elephant in the room. At last we address it head on.”
John Kerry, the USA's climate envoy, said: "I think this is a cause for optimism."
There was immediate criticism from countries that are at most immediate risk from climate change, such as Pacific islands and Bangladesh, and for a lack of fairness from other developing nations.