It appeared that the Saudis had emerged victorious, similar to their previous success in neutralizing a proposal on fossil fuels during G20 discussions in Goa, India three months prior.

On Wednesday morning, there was a significant change in the situation. Approximately 200 countries, including Saudi Arabia, agreed to a compromise agreement that did not fully commit to eliminating fossil fuels, but did recognize the need to start “transitioning away” from them, beginning this year.

This agreement was reached after several informal international alliances rushed to rescue the agreement. Countries with low-lying islands, the European Union, the United States, and even some wealthy countries that rely on fossil fuels all participated. The two opposing groups that emerged during the tense finale exposed two distinct global truths: The West, promoting a more environmentally friendly economy on the global platform while also pursuing its own fossil fuel endeavors, was facing off against developing nations rich in resources, for whom oil, gas, and coal are crucial for their economic survival.

The rescue operation involved various efforts by John Kerry, the U.S. special envoy for climate, and other American representatives to directly communicate with the Saudis. Eventually, they agreed on a statement that allowed for the use of fossil fuels as an interim measure towards a more environmentally friendly future. One of the officials involved in these discussions was Kerry, who had a meeting with Abdulaziz bin Salman, the influential energy minister of Saudi Arabia.

In a matter of hours, the agreement was finalized early on Wednesday morning – and later that day, it was approved to a round of applause in a room.

Kerry stated that there were moments within the past 48 hours when some of us feared this might not succeed.

The agreement given the green light on Wednesday is not legally binding, therefore there is no certainty that Saudi Arabia, as well as the United States and United Kingdom, will put a halt to their proposed expansions in oil and gas production to fulfill the commitment made on Wednesday. Its true significance may not be fully understood until next year, when all nations are required to submit updated plans demonstrating how they will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the next ten years.

In the past, the Saudis have typically disrupted discussions at U.N. climate conferences, preventing any serious consideration of taking bold measures to decrease reliance on fossil fuels. However, during a recent meeting, Kerry specifically commended them for their efforts.

“Several oil and gas-producing nations, which are easily identifiable, have expressed their support for our success and progress,” Kerry informed reporters. “They have made a commitment to transition.” He noted that the energy minister, Abdulaziz, has also acknowledged the need to accept a shift away from reliance on oil.

As his team focused on Saudi Arabia, Kerry made sure to gain the support of China, the top contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. On the day before his 80th birthday, Kerry visited his longtime acquaintance, Xie Zhenhua, who is China’s climate envoy, at the summit venue in Beijing. Xie shared this with reporters.

The two experienced negotiators and long-time colleagues celebrated their birthdays together. They then came to an agreement to honor the deal made between their respective countries in November at Sunnylands, California. The deal focused on increasing the use of renewable energy sources and reducing reliance on coal, oil, and natural gas. This information was shared by a confidential source, who remains anonymous as they are not permitted to speak publicly on the matter.

In the meantime, Wopke Hoekstra, the climate commissioner of the European Union, and Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Teresa Ribera were working together to form a coalition of nations in order to overcome any opposition.

An EU negotiator, who was not authorized to speak to the press, disclosed that Hoekstra held a meeting with Tina Stege, the climate envoy from the Marshall Islands. During the meeting, they collaborated on a document outlining a set of demands which they later presented to the United Arab Emirates government, who was hosting the talks. To strengthen their stance, they garnered support from numerous island nations and affluent countries to sign and deliver the document to Sultan al-Jaber’s team, who is serving as the summit president and also the chief executive of UAE’s oil industry.

Hoekstra and Ribera held discussions with a coalition of nations, including affluent nations that export fossil fuels such as Australia, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. They were observed entering and exiting the U.N. headquarters where they had been engaging with the COP28 president, conveying a strong stance on putting an end to the use of coal, oil, and gas despite their own significant connections to these industries.

In the end, the agreement they received was only half of their desired outcome. Nonetheless, it recognized the use of fossil fuels, which was the initial breakthrough in the 30-year-long barrier that the Saudis had established within the United Nations proceedings. Alden Meyer, a senior member at the environmental research organization E3G, stated that this was the first sign of progress in dismantling their resistance.

However, the islanders expressed that the assistance was inadequate in addressing their needs, as they would be returning to homes that are only a few feet above the sea level.

The win on Wednesday was not enough for them, and to add insult to injury, members of a group of small islands had expressed concerns about their voices being ignored for days. However, when the last meeting commenced and al-Jaber quickly passed the deal, the islanders were in a separate room composing their objections to what they believed was a feeble agreement.

Right after the meeting, a representative from the COP28 press group informed POLITICO that they were unaware of the reason for the islanders’ exclusion. Later, a member of the COP28 president’s team personally apologized to the Samoan delegation and explained that they were not aware of the islanders’ presence outside the room, according to spokesperson Bianca Beddoe.

Stege described the snub as “surprising.” After the plenary ended, she stated that the last two days of COP28 demonstrated the importance of having all parties present and involved in discussions.

The islanders’ grievances were met with only a loud round of sympathetic applause from all the assembled nations in the plenary hall.

In the coming years, we will see if the fight results in a significant shift away from the reliance on petroleum.

Jørgensen from Denmark later stated: “Honestly, just 48 hours ago, I would not have believed that we would be in this position. However, we persevered and fought until the very end.”