# COP28 adopts the UAE Consensus in Dubai

Date: 2023

## The fact

On 13 December 2023 COP28 in Dubai adopted the UAE Consensus, the first COP covering decision to mention transitioning away from fossil fuels. [Mohamed bin Zayed](/people/mohamed-bin-zayed-al-nahyan) hosted as president of the UAE; Sultan Al Jaber gavelled.

## Context

UNFCCC parties adopted. Al Jaber, an ADNOC chief, presided. MBZ appointed him and hosted leaders. He did not write other parties’ NDCs. ADNOC expansion is a neighbouring fossil file, not this gavel.

ADNOC expansion is stored separately. COP29/COP30 are later parties.

The president of the United Arab Emirates is elected by the Federal Supreme Council of the seven emirates and is, in this case, also Ruler of Abu Dhabi and supreme commander of the armed forces. He does not write UNFCCC consensus texts by himself, IAEA operating licences, Israeli Knesset statutes, or UN panel reports.

## Evidence and sources

UNFCCC carries the official instrument or communique. Reuters records the same dated act independently.

## Significance

Hosting is not the same as ADNOC stopping expansion.

## What is established and what is not

Established: a 13 December 2023 COP28 UAE Consensus adopted in Dubai, independently reported.

Not established: a unique 2024 global emissions coefficient from the gavel, or that ADNOC cancelled expansions that hour.

What would change the picture: a contradictory original with a different date or name, a later repeal, a court that vacated the instrument, or a measured series that can be argued, with lag and alternatives, as a consequence of this instrument rather than of later institutions.

The date is the date of this instrument, not a licence to back-date every later harm or benefit.

Al Jaber gavelled. UNFCCC parties adopted. A later repeal, court stay, or successor order would be a different Fact with a different date. That pair identifies COP28 adopts the UAE Consensus in Dubai, not a later speech about COP28 adopts the UAE Consensus in Dubai.

Co-authors and later implementers named in Context remain on the file. COP28 adopts the UAE Consensus in Dubai on 2023-12-13 is not a licence to treat every later UNFCCC communique as this same act. If a later repeal, stay, or successor decree exists, it needs its own date and its own row. This dossier refuses to average COP28 adopts the UAE Consensus in Dubai into a personality. The contribution described on this Person row is limited to He hosted and appointed the COP president. Al Jaber gavelled. UNFCCC parties adopted. That limit is the alternative to treating office-holding as authorship of every later series.

## People

- Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan: https://factrail.ai/people/mohamed-bin-zayed-al-nahyan

## Drivers

- Decarbonization and climate-mitigation policy: https://factrail.ai/drivers/env-decarbonization-policy
- Fossil-fuel subsidies: https://factrail.ai/drivers/energy-fossil-fuel-subsidies

## Sources

- https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/cop28-deal-signals-beginning-end-fossil-fuels-era-2023-12-13/
- https://unfccc.int/cop28

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/ae-cop28-uae-consensus-2023