Top world leaders talk of climate crisis at UN summit. They say they must act on fossil fuels, war

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Dozens of world leaders said they know the planet’s dangerously overheating and they are trying to keep it from getting worse. “Let’s be inclusive of the most vulnerable Palestinians severely impacted by the war.” Still, Kenya President William Ruto said, “climate change stands out by far as the defining issue of our era.” He joined many leaders who repeated the major goals of conference organizers to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency. Guterres, a long-time critic of oil, gas and coal use that is causing climate change, fired his strongest shots yet against the industry, which includes COP28 host country United Arab Emirates, saying, “we cannot save a burning planet with a firehose of fossil fuels.” In a direct challenge to fossil fuel-aligned nations, the U.N. chief said the only way to limit warming to the goal set in 2015 in Paris — 1.5 degrees Celsius since the start of the industrial era — requires eliminating oil, coal and gas use. Many developing-world leaders pledged to do more to advance solar power and other renewable energies, while calling for technology transfer, help in building resilience against climate disasters and sharing of “best practices” — as Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema put it — from “the North” to help continents like Africa benefit too. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, home to most of the Amazon rainforest, said “the planet is tired of climate agreements that were not fulfilled” and said he’s had enough of “eloquent and empty speeches.” Lula called for climate justice for poorer nations that didn’t cause the problem and railed against $2 trillion spent on weapons last year when the money should be spent on fighting hunger and climate change.