In COP28 final agreement, a big win for oil and gas

The Dubai conference, in its call for a transition away from fossil fuels, singles out coal for a phase-down while letting oil and gas off the hook.

After going a full day over schedule, the COP28 climate talks in UAE have finally resulted in an agreement. One that TV and newspaper headlines will expectedly term as "historic", "landmark" and "unprecedented". 

And, for those who may want to see the glass as half full, it may very well be. After all, it is for the first time in the history of such climate talks that there is a clear acknowledgement of the need to move away from fossil fuels.

But look further and what the COP28 outcome offers is nothing short of a mirage. The final text that …