Thursday Briefing: A surprise U.N. climate deal

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December 14, 2023

By Whet Moser Writer/Editor, Briefings

Good morning. We’re covering a deal on fossil fuels at the U.N. climate summit and Japan’s efforts to build up its military.

Plus what yoga teachers can learn from cadavers.

Sultan Al Jaber, center, the Emirati official and oil executive who presided over the COP28 climate talks. Peter Dejong/Associated Press

A surprise U.N. climate deal

After two weeks of furious debate, diplomats from nearly 200 counties at the U.N. climate summit in Dubai reached a sweeping agreement yesterday that explicitly called for “transitioning away from fossil fuels.”

The deal calls on countries to accelerate a global shift from fossil fuels this decade and to quit adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere entirely by midcentury. It also calls on nations to triple the amount of renewable energy installed around the world by 2030 and to slash emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that is more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term.

For insight, we turned to our colleague Lisa Friedman, who was in Dubai to cover the COP28 summit.

What was different about this climate summit?

Lisa: Having a conference in a petrostate was never going to be easy. But as someone who has now covered 12 of these COPs, I think it was very eye opening. All around us every day, we were confronted with the spoils of oil.

At the same time, you have this very stark contrast of small island leaders and others essentially telling the U.A.E. and the Saudis that their luxury is coming at the expense of island nations’ very existence. For me, the location of the summit really underscores all of the needs of various countries that the U.N. must balance.

How was the agreement reached?

European leaders and many of the nations most vulnerable to climate-fueled extreme weather were urging language that called for a complete “phaseout” of fossil fuels. But that was facing pushback from major oil producers led by Saudi Arabia. In the end, they found a middle ground.

How do countries feel about the agreement?

It left some — particularly island leaders — deeply dissatisfied. In fact, many island leaders said Wednesday morning that they didn’t even have a chance to offer changes or relay concerns before Sultan Al Jaber, the Emirati oil executive presiding over the conference, gaveled through the decision and declared it adopted by consensus.

At the same time, it’s notable that it took 28 of these annual conferences on climate change before governments would be willing to name the elephant in the room — fossil fuels — the burning of which is the main driver of planetary warming.

What’s your main takeaway from the final agreement?

The decision was a compromise, and it should be regarded as such. But it’s an important one. Many leaders have said it sends the signal that the era of fossil fuels is coming to an end, which is something I could not imagine this body doing even five years ago.

More from COP28: Our Climate Forward newsletter explains how the agreement could change the world, and our DealBook newsletter explores what’s missing.

Family members of Americans who were taken hostage by Hamas outside the White House yesterday. Doug Mills/The New York Times

Families of Gaza hostages meet with President Biden

The families of eight Americans still held by Hamas in Gaza yesterday had their first in-person meeting with President Biden. They have urged the U.S. to push for pauses in the fighting to allow Israel to negotiate the hostages’ release.

On Tuesday, Biden expressed concern for the safety of the hostages in light of reports that Israel is beginning to flood Hamas tunnels with seawater. Family members have expressed deep frustration that they know little about the condition of their loved ones.

More than two months after the attacks on southern Israel, over half of the roughly 240 hostages taken to Gaza remain missing, according to Israeli officials.

Hostage account: Nutthawaree Munkan, a Thai farmhand, was held in Gaza for nearly 50 days. A 5-year-old Israeli girl who was held captive with her gave her hope.

Diplomacy: The U.N. General Assembly countered a U.S. veto with an overwhelming vote that demanded an immediate cease-fire.

Japanese troops during an amphibious landing exercise last month. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

An aging population challenges Japan’s military

Facing security threats from China and North Korea, Japan has committed to raising military spending by about 60 percent over the next five years, which would give it the third-largest defense budget in the world. But its shrinking, aging population makes it hard to recruit soldiers.

The number of active personnel in the country’s armed forces is nearly 10 percent lower than it was in 1990. To expand the overall ranks, the chairman of Japan’s joint staff said the Self-Defense Forces should increase the proportion of women to 12 percent, from less than 8 percent, by 2030.

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Asia Pacific

Australia has experienced a stretch of extreme weather over the past few days. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, via Associated Press

Around the World

President Javier Milei at his inauguration on Sunday in Buenos Aires. Tomas Cuesta/Getty Images

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A Morning Read

A Sukeban performance in Miami earlier this month. Martina Tuaty for The New York Times

Sukeban, a new women’s wrestling league featuring Japanese performers, is the first of its kind in the U.S. It was inspired by the female gangs of the 1960s and 1970s that helped to bring feminism to the fore in Japan. Fashion plays a key role in the league, and organizers hope the flashy costumes will help the sport to appeal to an audience unfamiliar with it.

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Students dissecting a donor body at a workshop in North Carolina. Jesse Barber for The New York Times

Why yoga teachers are learning from cadavers

Over the past two decades, at least a dozen cadaver dissection courses have popped up in the U.S. that cater to professionals like yoga teachers, massage therapists and Peloton trainers.

As more primary care doctors recommend exercise to their patients, fitness professionals now often work with people who have complex conditions. For those who lay hands on clients — like massage therapists and Pilates, yoga or strength trainers — touching actual tissue offers unparalleled learning, said Dr. Carrie McCulloch, a physician and Pilates instructor.

“They are working with real human bodies,” she said, “and they should learn from real human bodies, too.”

Christopher Testani for The New York Times

Cook: This yaki udon is one of our most-searched recipes right now.

Eat: Check out the best cookbooks of 2023.

Travel: These eight cruises will take you to sunny spots like Thailand and Tahiti.

Read: “Things That Go Bump in the Universe” explores the weird bits of the cosmos.

Play Spelling Bee, the Mini, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today’s briefing. Jonathan Wolfe contributed to this newsletter. Justin Porter will be here tomorrow. — Whet

P.S. Are you using ChatGPT at work? The Times wants to hear about it.

We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@nytimes.com.

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