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At the COP28 climate conference in Dubai delegates have worked through the night to produce a final draft deal which pledges to transition away from the use of fossil fuels in the battle to hit global emission targets and combat climate change. The re-submitted text recognises the need for sustained reductions if the world is to limit temperature rises to 1.5C by the middle of this century.

It doesn't, however, include wording on the phasing out of fossil fuels, which was something that many governments wanted to see and was cited as an option in earlier talks. It's the first time in the series of ongoing UN climate conferences that there's been a pledge to move away from oil, gas and coal.

It remains to be seen whether the new text will be fully adopted by the near 200 attending countries. Newsday asked Brianna Fruean - a climate activist and environmental advocate from Samoa - for her view from Dubai.

"We've seen some progress but it was disappointing not to see the phase out of fossil fuel in the text. I believe there's been a lot of blocking of that language... lots of resistance. I feel their presence here [of thousands of fossil fuel lobbyists]."

"It's very hard to have sympathy for people making billions out of the destruction of [places] like mine... It's corporations vs everyday people. There's been a big equity and transparency issue here... there's something wrong with the system, it's broken and unfair. We have to show up here to fight for our survival in a place that's not even recognising us."

(Pic: Activists display placards and banners during a protest on the side lines of COP28; Credit: EPA)

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