The European Union is set to set a "higher bar" in climate change negotiations as it aims to spark the beginning of the end of fossil fuels, according to a speech by the European Commissioner for Climate Action at the United Nations Conference of the Parties. in Dubai. Wopke Hoekstra he spoke on the last day of the technical phase of COP28. He recalled that "at COP28 we have more than 190 parties and we need all these parties, all these parties to agree to phase out fossil fuels". Any agreement emerging from the COP must be near-unanimous. The phase-out of fossil fuels is gaining support from small island states and other developing countries. The Spanish Deputy Prime Minister also spoke during the COP Teresa Ribera , as her country presides over the European Union. She also confirmed that "the European Union facilitates what the President [COP28, Sultan al-Jaber ] said he wants to achieve at this very precise moment: a historical turning point in this very critical decade. Ribera also called on al-Jaber to be more than an "honest broker" and lead talks towards an ambitious deal with his management. (Giacomo Fracassi)