🔗 Share this article

When dawn crept over the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, delegates remained trapped in a windowless conference room, unaware whether it was day or night. For more than 12 hours in difficult discussions, with scores ministers representing various coalitions of countries including the poorest nations to the richest economies.

Tempers were short, the air thick as sweaty delegates confronted the harsh reality: they would not reach a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The 30th UN climate conference teetered on the brink of abject failure.

The sticking point: Fossil fuels

Research has demonstrated for well over a century, the CO2 emissions produced by burning fossil fuels is heating up our planet to dangerous levels.

Nevertheless, during over three decades of regular climate meetings, the crucial requirement to halt fossil fuel use has been referenced only once – in a decision made two years ago at the Dubai climate summit to "transition away from fossil fuels". Representatives from the Gulf states, Russia, and several other countries were resolved this would not be repeated.

Growing momentum for change

Meanwhile, a growing number of countries were just as committed that movement on this issue was crucially important. They had formulated a proposal that was gathering expanding support and made it evident they were ready to stand their ground.

Less wealthy nations strongly sought to advance on securing economic resources to help them cope with the already disastrous impacts of climate disasters.

Breaking point

By the early hours of Saturday, some delegates were willing to withdraw and trigger failure. "The situation was precarious for us," stated one national delegate. "I considered to walk away."

The breakthrough came through talks with Saudi Arabia. Shortly after 6am, principal delegates split from the main group to hold a closed-door meeting with the chief Saudi negotiator. They urged language that would subtly reference the global commitment to "move beyond fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Unanticipated resolution

As opposed to explicitly namechecking fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the previous commitment". Following reflection, the Saudi delegation surprisingly approved the wording.

The room collapsed into relief. Cheers erupted. The agreement was done.

With what became known as the "Amazon accord", the world took an incremental move towards the phaseout of fossil fuels – a hesitant, limited step that will barely interrupt the climate's ongoing trajectory towards crisis. But nevertheless a notable change from complete stagnation.

Key elements of the agreement

• Alongside the indirect reference in the formal agreement, countries will start developing a roadmap to gradually eliminate fossil fuels
• This will be mostly a voluntary initiative led by Brazil that will provide updates next year
• Addressing the required reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to stay within the 1.5C limit was also put off to next year
• Developing countries obtained a threefold increase to $120bn of yearly funding to help them cope with the impacts of extreme weather
• This sum will not be fully available until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "equitable change process" to help people working in polluting businesses transition to the renewable industry

Differing opinions

As the world teeters on the brink of climate "critical thresholds" that could devastate environments and throw whole regions into crisis, the agreement was insufficient as the "significant advancement" needed.

"Cop30 gave us some small advances in the proper course, but given the severity of the climate crisis, it has failed to rise to the occasion," stated one climate expert.

This imperfect deal might have been the maximum achievable, given the international tensions – including a Washington administration who shunned the talks and remains aligned with oil and coal, the rising tide of rightwing populism, ongoing conflicts in multiple regions, intolerable levels of inequality, and global economic volatility.

"The climate arsonists – the oil and gas companies – were finally in the focus at these negotiations," comments one climate activist. "We have crossed a threshold on that. The platform is open. Now we must transform it into a genuine solution to a more secure planet."

Major disagreements revealed

While nations were able to applaud the formal approval of the deal, Cop30 also revealed deep fissures in the primary worldwide framework for confronting the climate crisis.

"International summits are agreement-dependent, and in a era of international tensions, agreement is ever harder to reach," observed one senior UN official. "I cannot pretend that this summit has provided all that is needed. The gap between where we are and what science demands remains dangerously wide."

When the world is to avert the worst ravages of climate breakdown, the UN climate talks alone will prove insufficient.