United Nations climate change negotiators came to an agreement Wednesday to "transition away" from fossil fuels during the COP28 annual summit hosted in the United Arab Emirates. 

Acting quickly, leaving no time for critics to engage in floor debate, COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber, who is also CEO of the UAE’s oil company, swiftly gaveled approval Wednesday of a central document that takes aim at the burning of coal, oil and gas without asking for comments. 

"It is a plan that is led by the science,’’ al-Jaber said, according to The Associated Press. "It is an enhanced, balanced, but make no mistake, a historic package to accelerate climate action. It is the UAE consensus… We have language on fossil fuel in our final agreement for the first time ever."

The deal, which also calls for tripling the use of renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency, marked a milestone for the summit that’s been debating the issue for nearly 30 years. 

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement championing the deal to phase out fossil fuels, warning critics that the move is "inevitable whether they like it or not."