The United Nations headquarters in New York City on on September 21, 2021. The United Nations General Assembly adopted a global pact on Sunday that included explicit calls to phase out fossil fuels — which has been a stubborn sticking point in climate change talks for decades. The call to move away from fossil fuels is outlined in the “Pact of the Future” — a broad plan for the U.N.’s 193 member nations to work together across a range of challenges, from escalating conflicts to rising poverty to climate change. Warning that inaction on various issues threatens to push people around the world “into a future of persistent crisis and breakdown,” the document also laid out a framework for digital cooperation and artificial intelligence governance. In a press release , the U.N. said the agreement was years in the making. The goal was to address the problems of today, as well as anticipate the troubles of tomorrow. It was reached at the opening of the two-day “Summit of the Future” in advance of the 79th session of the U.N. General Assembly, which kicks off on Tuesday. The provision echoes a commitment agreed by nations last year at the U.N. climate conference in Dubai. At the time, not everyone was happy with the final agreement. Critics of the deal said it lacked a clear path toward phasing out fossil fuels and pointed out a “litany of loopholes” in the final text. While Sunday’s pact outlines 56 broad actions to address the world’s biggest challenges, the U.N. said “follow-up action” is needed to ensure that the commitments are followed through. The U.N.’s call to action on fossil fuels In the Pact of the Future, signatories agreed, “We are deeply concerned at the current slow pace of progress in addressing climate change,” […]