Brazil’s COP30 presidency successfully brokered a compromise climate deal that aims to increase financial support for developing nations grappling with the effects of climate change. The agreement, reached after intense negotiations in Belém, Brazil, did not specifically address the role of fossil fuels in driving global warming.
Despite the absence of the United States’ official delegation, Brazil sought to showcase international solidarity in tackling climate change. The discussions highlighted significant disagreements on the approach to future climate action.
Following the challenging negotiations, André Corrêa do Lago, the conference president, acknowledged the complexity of the talks and recognized that some parties had higher expectations. Several countries, including Colombia, Panama, and Uruguay, voiced objections to the final agreement, particularly the lack of concrete plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and phase out fossil fuels.
Colombia emphasized the importance of scientific evidence and refused to support an agreement that downplayed the role of fossil fuels in climate change. The European Union and a group of countries, led by Saudi Arabia, clashed over including language on transitioning away from fossil fuels in the deal.
Despite disagreements, the European Union ultimately agreed not to block the final agreement, emphasizing the importance of moving in the right direction. Panama’s climate negotiator criticized the outcome, stating that failing to address fossil fuels amounts to complicity rather than neutrality.
The summit also introduced a voluntary initiative to accelerate climate action and called for developed nations to triple their financial support to assist developing countries in adapting to climate change impacts. The focus on financial assistance was deemed crucial by experts as the need for climate adaptation funding becomes more urgent.
While the agreement was hailed as a step forward, concerns remained about the lack of rapid-response grants for developing nations dealing with climate-related loss and damage. Some countries, including Sierra Leone, raised objections to the quality of indicators agreed upon for measuring climate impacts.
The European Union and an Arab group of nations faced a standoff over the issue of fossil fuels, which prolonged negotiations past the deadline. As a compromise, a separate text on fossil fuels was issued, urging countries to continue discussions on this contentious issue. Additionally, the agreement initiated a review process to align international trade with climate action to address concerns about trade barriers hindering the adoption of clean technology.