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woman: architect. bee keeper. mentor. a raymond james financial advisor tailors advice to help you live your life. life well planned. george: actually, you don't need vision to do most things in life. it's exciting to be part of a team driving the technology forward. i think that's the most rewarding thing. people who know, ow bdo. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. announcer: and now, "bbc news". christian: hello, i'm christian fraser. this is "the context." >> hearing no objection, it is

so decided. >> big headline was the trend away from fossil fuels. >> this is a moment where multilateralism has come together and people have taken individual interests and attempted to define the common good. >> the course correction that is needed has not been secured. we have made an incremental advancement over business as usual when what we really needed was an exponential step changing our actions. christian: a breakthrough climate agreement in dubai. 198 countries agree to transition away from fossil fuels, but does the language of that text meet the moment? we will hear from one of the

uk's leading climate experts. israel is continuing its bombardment of gaza despite the resounding call for a cease-fire at the u.n. general assembly. the idf is flooding some of the tunnels used by hamas. and may get reaction to president zelenskyy's charm offensive in washington. there is progress on the ukraine a build but nearly not enough to get a vote before the christmas recess. very good evening. diplomacy is tough, it takes years to advance an idea particularly when 198 countries and the eu are sitting at the table, but the deal secured in dubai this morning is usually significant. for the first time ever there is language and their commitment to move away from fossil fuels. it's impact will depend in large part on whether the signatories take steps to implement what they have agreed in the coming decade. after own, some of those countries include the united

states, australia, canada, norway, who right now are expanding their already significant oil and gas production. there are many who wanted a stronger form of words, particularly the smaller island states, who are facing the consequences of a warming planet. from dubai, our climate editor sent this report. >> we waited and waited, and then-- >> hearing no objection, it is so decided. >> with a bang of a gavel, the deal was done. [applause] >> and it got a standing ovation. [applause] >> that is the fastest agreement text has ever been agreed. the presidency is calling this an historic agreement but it is hedged around with questions and doubts. it calls on countries to contribute to ambitious actions

to tackle climate change. i could do a single plate and claim to have contributed to doing the washing up, but would you have considered i have pulled my weight? the president of these talks was in no doubt how important it was. >> now we can truly see that we united and we acted and we truly delivered. >> there was support from many countries especiallricher nations. >> to have as strong a document as has been put together, i find is cause for optimism, cause for gratitude, because for some significant congratulations to everybody here. >> and congratulations from saudi arabia, too, which had pushed hard to weaken the commitment. small island states are on the frontline of climate change. many of their representatives

were not in the room when the hammer went down, and they were not happy today. there is a litany of loopholes, they say, and it will not do enough to tame climate change. >> the course correction that was needed has not been secured. what we needed was an exponential step changing our actions and support. >> that got a bigger round of applause than the president's speech. [applause] but the consensus does appear to be that this is a significant step forward. that is certainly the view of -- >> this is an historic, land mark game changing thing. >> he told delegates that now the deal is done. it is up to them. they need to go back to their countries and take action on climate change. that is how the promise of this agreement will be delivered. christian: as justin suggests,

the language in this cmate agreement which is always carefully crafted still gives also fuel producers space to keep working. this is not the first time the cop has delivered ambitious language. it doesn't always translate into meaningful change. here is our analysis editor. >> the idea of an annual global climate summit was first established in 1992 in riyadh. countries agreed on the ambition of stabilizing emissions. five years later in kyoto, the first targets to cut emissions were set, although the u.s. opted out. then in copenhagen in 2009, hopes were high for a new deal. the talks ended in failure and frustration, and afterward's, the u.n. bank said it would take more than this to tackle climate change. there was a lot more in paris in 2015. there was a new common goal for all countries to limit global warming to well below two degrees above preindustrial

levels and ideally 1.5. >> we came together around a strong agreement the wld needed. >> the paris agreement improved reporting of emissions. it also drove some shifts in climate policy. further progress was made at the glascow summit in 2021 though some were disappointed the words were not stronger. by 2022, u.n. secretary general said unless countries dramatically scale up their effort to combat the climate crisis, the world faces a global catastrophe. while there is often a gap between commitments at these summitand actions that follow, these gatherings do bring a regular focus on the climate and sometimes that can shift the global approach. at this cop in dubai, countries have agreed with the first time to transition away from fossil fuels. this is new, but in the end, it is not words that impact climate, it is actions and the money to fund them. you might wonder what all impact the past climate summits have

had. admissions were going up in 1992. they are still going up now albeit more slowly because of global action that's been taken. which is why cop28's real significance will be decided by what follows this latest deal. christian: let's bring in the founder of the carbon tracker initiati. are you a glass half-full or half-empty person today? >> coming back from the cop, i have to say i am positive, i am more glass half-full. it is not what everyone was asking for, but the key thing is, fossil fuels were at the heart of the discussion leading up to the cop, and now looking back, we can say this is probably the pivotal moment really. christian: it is remarble that we have had 20 cop summits and the elephant in the room has never been addressed, fossil fuels.

so the language is significant. it puts the fossil fuel industry on notice. how will markets and banks react to that, and most importantly perhaps, the shareholders? >> when we last spoke about this a couple years ago in the glascow cop, we were making the point that fossil fuels were not being discussed. here we are just back from dubai and it is what everyone is talking about. the signal to the industries, this is an industry which is structurally in decline. you have the rise of renewable energy, electrical vehicles are now 45% of sales in china. that will be a fundamental challenge to anybody investing in fossil fuels of the future. this is an industry which is clearly entering into its endgame. renewables are ultimately growing faster than fossil fuels, and that will mean that clean energy will win. investors have got to act. we have to deploy huge amounts of clean energy.

we have to build up the grid, not just in the u.k. where it is needed, but all over the world. it is about electrifying everything. if we can do that, that will be the death knell for fossil fuels. what i heard today, any government thinking they can hand out new oil andas licenses or coal mining permits, anybody will be able to towns th and say if you are a signatory to the paris agreement, if you committed to the dubai accords, there is no grounds for any new licensing for oil and gas. i'm expecting to see legal challenges even in the u.k. here wondering why the u.k. government is handing out licenses. christian: that has always been the important point that you make to me whenever we are at these summits. we don't look at the sock assets, the cost to the business of investing more money into an asset that they will not be able to use, will not be able to take out of the ground. i suppose in that sense, as you

suggest, the language is crucially important because shareholders will be able to point to this. they will point to this and say the government is a signatory to this. we have to take this much more seriously. >> we do. a carbon tracker with a major u.k. bank in dubai invited oil and gas clients, investors to join the discussion. what i found to my surprise was that these investors are actually well-informed. they can see what's happening, they can see the rise of companies like tesla, they can see the oil and gas industry is really on this pivotal moment. you asked if i am optimistic. the only thing that i do express some concerns about is that transitioning away is not quite the same as phasing out or phasing down. it suggests that things can go slowly. i worry about the pacific island states, countries where two

degrees, 1.5 degrees is the absolute minimum of warm and they will except climate catastrophe. next year, we are looking for something a lot more ambitious than what we heard this time around. i'm optimistic that we can but we have to remember, particularly the people in the global south, on the receiving end of some of these weather events, whether it is storms, catastrophic wind, drought, they are the ones that we think about at this time. christian: the point you make about the next time, that is crucially what we should focus on, because people have to see this as a progression. this was a progress report on how far we have come. brazil in 2025 will be the point at which countries decide what they will do up to 2035 and beyond. that is the summit that will probably determine our futures. do you think this text lays the groundwork for brazil, changes the thinking that come 2025 the

ambition will be that much greater? >> there will be the ambition there, but the oil and gas industry is an industry which made hundreds of billions of pounds in excess profits in the last 18 months. that money would have covered loss and damage, for example, multiple times over. you have an industry which is still politically extremely influential. just look at their influence in the middle east or the u.s. christian: plenty of lobbyists in dubai. >> the opec members saying everyone has to rally. the future of the fossil fuel industry is being challenged by the dui roundtable. that shows you how much is at stake. what i'm expecting from the brazil discussions is the door closing on the power of the fossil fuel politicians, whether they are based in north america or europe or the middle east,

and that we can move past that and talk about the new economy that we are building, the clean energy system. what i want to see in brazil is some of these very successful business people -- elon musk turning up would be interesting, speaking about what this new future looks like. and actually think about what the world would be. the air would be cleaner, renewable energy will be cheaper. electric vehicles, you can sell electricity into the grid if you have any tv at your house. we have to move past this rather sour politics of the fossil fuel lobbyists. 2500 lobbyists were there. more people there than delegations om the global south. christian: that is certainly something that the u.n. needs to take a look at. a lot of people saying that. we are out of time but it is good for you to come on having just returned from dubai.

we will focus more on cop throughout the course of the program. around the world and across the u.k., you are watching bbc. let's take a quick look at other stories making news here today. in the run-up to christmas, shoppers have been warned not to fall to scans especially when buying items on social media. figures from the high street bank sw that nearly 100 billion pounds is forecast to be stolen from thousands of victims during the festive period, with 25 to 34-year-olds the most likely victims. the disability charity says a lack of skilled workers in the social care sector is putting vulnerable lives at risk. in england come the number of vacancies for home carers has doubled in the past 10 years. the government says there was a 2% increase in the workforce last year. around 8 million eligible households will receive a 299 pound cost-of-living payment in february to help with higher bills. payment for people on means tested benefits will be made

directly into bank accounts without the need to make a claim. a committee of mps questioned whether the payments were sufficient. you are live with bbc news. israel's foreign minister says his country will continue their war with hamas with without international support, after president biden warned yesterday it risks losing support over its indiscriminate bombing of gaza. u.n. general assembly also voted overwhelmingly for an immediate cease-fire in gaza. the israeli army has released this video showing combat operations in and around gaza city which tells you there is still significant fighting in the north. according to the hamas health ministry, at least 50 people were killed in these latest airstrikes, takinthe total in the last eight weeks to more than 18,600 by their calculations. witnesses say khan yunis in the southern part of the strip is now in ruins and largely deserted, and the head of the

palestinian refugee agency is warning that its capacity to render services in gaza is now on the verge of collapse. we will get reaction to that in a second. let's speak to our correspondent in jerusalem. there is a line of news coming from america tonight that i want to put to you, in light of what president biden was saying to donors yesterday, coming from axios, suggesting that the americans will withhold the m-16's they were going to supply to israel. 20,000 rifles. over their concerns at they are being used against settlers in the westank. >> i think this shows there is growing discontent in washington over what is happening here in the region, in particular with what is happening in gaza. yesterday we had those very strong wor from president biden, saying that israel was losing support because of the bombing in gaza. just days ago, we had antony

blinken, the u.s. secretary of state, saying there was a gap between what the israelis were saying about protecting the civilian population in gaza and the reality on the ground. a week ago, secretary of defense austin said there was the risk that because so many palestinians were being killed, israel could turn a tactical victory in gaza into a strategic defeat. today, the israeli foreign minister dismissing i think those concerns, those comments by president biden. also the boat yesterday at the united nations saying this war against hamas will continue with or without international support . i think pressure is growing, calls for cease-fire are growing, as well. t■omorrow, jake sullivan president biden's national security advisor, will travel to israel. he will have talks with prime minister benjamin netanyahu.

i think what the israelis are saying is that one of the topics of the discussions will be a timeline for the end of the war in gaza. the israelis keep on saying the goal here is to eliminate hummus, but again -- hamas, but again, there is growing pressure with the immense suffering of the palestinian population in gaza. christian: what the president says that a fundraising event normally tells you what the president is thinking, but it is interesting that the u.s. is seemingly not at the moment going to condition aid in the me way to israel as it does to ukraine. as you know from your reporting, ukrainians are told specifically what weapons they can use, not allowed to fire them over the border into russia. why are the same conditions not being attached if the americans have concerns with respect to what they are dropping in gaza? >> it's very interesting because

president biden has been singing from the start that he is supporting israel and he is supporting israel's right to defend itself. but i think he is coming under pressure even within his own party. i think there has been growing concern internationally over the widespread destruction in gaza and also the humanitarian situation in gaza. i think there has been a lot of concern as well about what's happening in the west bank. the biden administration has been targeting some settlers involved in violence across the west bank. there has been some pressure on the is really authorities, as well, to try and curb the violence that has arisen in recent weeks. violence from settlers targeting palestinian civilians and villagers in the west bank. the pressure here from the biden

administration is coming from many different directions. i think this is just the latest measure that has been introduced, being taken by the u.s. administration. christian: we will watch those meetings tomorrow carefully. thank you for that. let's bring in the former u.n. under secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator. thank you very much for being with us. you will have heard me say in the introduction that unra is saying its operations are hanging by a thread. just how serious are you hearing the situation is right now in gaza? >> particularly in southern gaza, where the main population, about 1.9 million people are displaced, has been corralled into southern kazakhstan and the conditions are as horrific and deadly as you can imagine and hanging by a thread. i think the thread is breaking for quite a number.

i don't just mean the humanitarian sense of water and food, supplies, access to medical care, and so forth. i think it is the fear in the populati of already having been displaced once, maybe more than once, there is nowhere to flee to where they can get out of harm's way. as much as they are being encouraged to do so by the israeli defense forces. christian: as far as you understand, is there anywhere that is safe, that the u.n. could distribute aid? >> some is going in. yesterday, for instance, because of this new crossing for inspections. the trucks go in. you can imagine the assessment of need is vast. that means that the trucks are fully loaded with the necessary stuff in egypt, waiting to go in. but because of the need to inspect and make sure nothing

could possibly aid hamas is going through, making sure the areas for distribution are safe for humanitarian workers in the local community, access where the big needs are. they are going back out to egypt and then coming back to the rafah crossing. that does spieth things up. essential for the hospital and others which is about [indiscernible] christian: it is interesting. >> hundreds of trucks going in. christian: we are looking at those pictures of gunmen on top of the lorries. dumping some of that eight at crossroads.

can i talk to you about -- as if the bombing isn't bad enough, it is the rain that has arrived in gaza. when the rain falls, the pictures are pretty horrific. children sitting in makeshift shelters soaked to the bone. i would imagine that many are preferring to stay out in the open. does it worry you that there could soon be this breakout from gaza into the sinai? if not, there could be an outbreak of disease. >> always and ever present danger of that which egypt is fearful of happening. they will do everything they can to keep their borders secure. i am worried about the potential for cholera and other waterborne diseases. once you have very heavy rain, the difficulty with so many displaced, you have not got proper sewage systems, so you have sewage in the streets. the rain comes, part of what is on the trucks will be shelters,

plastic sheeting and so forth, so they can make shelter. as you say, they don't feel it is safe to go to the unra schools. there is this total fear. at the same time, the knowledge that, first of all, the innocent civilians of gods are being used as shields, so the israeli defense forces, under the license that gives you any country to defend its citizens, still applies. second, israel is absolutely determined to make sure that the hamas terrorists are demilitarized, do not pose a threat, so they cannot repeat october 7. christian: very quick, i only have one minute left. there was a line today from the hamas run health ministry saying they don't have vaccines for children. will you an address that? >> there will be a call for that

to the vaccine distributor make that available. it will be very important to make sure that those which need the refrigeration, that will be difficult because you will have trucks in the hot sun in the sinai trying to keep those vaccine school. then you have to have the people who know how to distribute them, know how to administer it. this is very tough stuff. there will be a shortage but there will be a supply. christian: thank you for coming on the program. still very gm in gaza, as we have been outlining. we will talk about the situation in ukraine and psident narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... narrator: financial services firm, raymond james. man: bdo. accountants and advisors.

narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by...