DUBAI - At least 118 countries on Saturday signed up to a commitment to triple the world's renewable energy capacity by 2030. The deal came as world-leaders gathered for a third day of the Cop28 summit in Dubai.

G20 nations, which account for nearly 80 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, paved the way for a deal when they endorsed the renewable energy goal in September.

The countries will "work together" to bring global renewable energy generation capacity to at least 11,000 gigawatts by the end of the decade, said the Cop28 presidency in Dubai.

"They also commit to work together in order to collectively double the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements" to more than four percent per year, it said.

Commitments non-binding

While supporters are expected to push for the pledge to be included in the final outcome of the talks, there are fears that the Cop28 hosts were willing to shunt the more ambitious targets into voluntary deals.

The European Union first appealed for the new target earlier this year, and the cause has since been taken up by Cop28 hosts the United Arab Emirates, then the G7 and G20 groups of nations.

However, the commitments are non-binding.

The pledge to triple renewable energy sends "a very strong message to investors and financial markets" that "the whole world is moving towards that goal", European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told AFP.