Brazil’s COP30 presidency on Saturday pushed through a compromise climate deal aimed at increasing financial support for poorer nations coping with global warming, but the agreement notably omitted any reference to fossil fuels, the primary driver of climate change.
By securing the accord, Brazil sought to demonstrate global unity in addressing climate impacts, even as the world’s largest historic emitter, the United States, chose not to send an official delegation.
Acknowledging the deal left some parties frustrated, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell praised delegates for coming together during a year marked by denial and division. “I’m not saying we’re winning the climate fight. But we are undeniably still in it, and we are fighting back,” he said.
The agreement, finalized after two weeks of intense negotiations in the Amazon city of Belém, exposed deep divisions over the path of future climate action. After gaveling the deal through, COP30 President André Correa do Lago acknowledged the tough discussions, noting, “We know some of you had greater ambitions for some of the issues at hand.”
Several countries, including Colombia, Panama, and Uruguay, objected to the summit concluding without stronger measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions or address fossil fuels. After procedural consultations, Correa do Lago resumed the plenary and confirmed that the decisions as agreed would stand.
Colombia’s negotiator emphasized that fossil fuels are the largest contributor to climate-warming emissions and criticized the deal for ignoring scientific evidence. “A consensus imposed under climate denialism is a failed agreement,” she said. In contrast, Russia’s delegate, Sergei Kononuchenko, accused the objecting countries of “behaving like children who want to get their hands on all the sweets,” a remark that drew strong rebukes from Latin American delegates.
The objections by the three Latin American nations targeted technical negotiating texts accompanying the main deal rather than the overall political agreement. They joined the European Union in demanding language on transitioning away from fossil fuels, while a coalition including Saudi Arabia opposed any mention of fossil fuels. After tense overnight talks, the EU agreed not to block the deal, despite lingering disagreement. “We should support [the deal] because at least it is going in the right direction,” said EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra.
The COP30 agreement also launches a voluntary initiative to accelerate climate action and calls for wealthy nations to at least triple the financial support they provide to poorer countries for adapting to climate impacts by 2035. Developing nations argue that urgent funding is needed to address rising sea levels, worsening heatwaves, droughts, floods, and storms. Avinash Persaud, Special Advisor to the President of the Inter-American Development Bank, highlighted the importance of the accord’s financial focus but warned that funding for rapid-response grants to cover loss and damage remains insufficient.
Several countries, including Sierra Leone, also objected to a list of indicators for monitoring climate impacts, including food security. Sierra Leone’s climate minister, Jiwoh Emmanuel Abdulai, criticized the list as unclear, unmeasurable, and largely unusable.
The impasse over fossil fuels between the EU and the Arab Group pushed negotiations past a Friday deadline, requiring all-night talks before reaching a compromise. Correa do Lago announced a side text on fossil fuels and forest protection, keeping them separate from the main accord due to lack of consensus, but urged continued dialogue.
Finally, the agreement establishes a process for climate bodies to review how international trade can better align with climate action, addressing concerns that rising trade barriers may limit the adoption of clean technologies.
