🔗 Share this article

When dawn was breaking the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, negotiators remained confined in a windowless conference room, oblivious whether it was day or night. For more than 12 hours in difficult discussions, with scores ministers representing 17 groups of countries including the least developed nations to the richest economies.

Patience wore thin, the air heavy as sweaty delegates confronted the sobering reality: they would not reach a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The international climate negotiations hovered near the brink of complete breakdown.

The central impasse: Fossil fuels

Research has demonstrated for nearly a century, the CO2 emissions produced by utilizing fossil fuels is heating up our planet to alarming levels.

Nevertheless, during over three decades of regular climate meetings, the crucial requirement to stop fossil fuel use has been addressed only once – in a resolution made two years ago at previous UN climate talks to "shift from fossil fuels". Delegates from the Arab Group, Russia, and several other countries were resolved this would not happen again.

Increasing pressure for change

At the same time, a expanding group of countries were similarly resolved that advancement on this issue was urgently necessary. They had developed a proposal that was attracting expanding support and made it clear they were ready to dig in.

Less wealthy nations strongly sought to make progress on securing financial assistance to help them address the already disastrous impacts of extreme weather.

Breaking point

During the night of Saturday, some delegates were willing to withdraw and force a collapse. "We were close for us," stated one energy minister. "I considered to walk away."

The breakthrough happened through negotiations with Saudi Arabia. Near 6am, principal delegates left the main group to hold a confidential discussion with the chief Saudi negotiator. They urged wording that would obliquely recognise the global commitment to "shift from fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Unexpected agreement

Rather than explicitly mentioning fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the UAE consensus". Following reflection, the Saudi delegation unexpectedly agreed to the wording.

Participants collapsed into relief. Cheers erupted. The settlement was done.

With what became known as the "Amazon accord", the world took another small step towards the gradual elimination of fossil fuels – a faltering, inadequate step that will barely interrupt the climate's steady march towards crisis. But nevertheless a notable change from absolute paralysis.

Important aspects of the agreement

• Complementing the indirect reference in the official document, countries will commence creating a roadmap to systematically reduce fossil fuels
• This will be primarily a non-binding program led by Brazil that will report back next year
• Addressing the required reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to stay within the 1.5C limit was similarly postponed to next year
• Developing countries secured a threefold increase to $120bn of regular financial support to help them cope with the impacts of environmental crises
• This sum will not be fully available until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "just transition mechanism" to help people working in fossil fuel sectors shift to the clean economy

Varied responses

While our planet approaches the brink of climate "critical thresholds" that could destroy ecosystems and throw whole regions into chaos, the agreement was far from the "major breakthrough" needed.

"Negotiators delivered some baby steps in the right direction, but given the magnitude of the climate crisis, it has not met the occasion," cautioned one climate expert.

This imperfect deal might have been the best attainable, given the international tensions – including a American leader who shunned the talks and remains committed to oil and coal, the growing influence of conservative movements, persistent fighting in multiple regions, intolerable levels of inequality, and global economic uncertainty.

"Major polluters – the fossil fuel giants – were at last in the spotlight at these negotiations," says one climate activist. "This represents progress on that. The opportunity is accessible. Now we must convert it to a real fire escape to a safer world."

Deep fissures revealed

Although nations were able to celebrate the formal approval of the deal, Cop30 also revealed major disagreements in the primary worldwide framework for confronting the climate crisis.

"International summits are agreement-dependent, and in a period of geopolitical divides, consensus is ever harder to reach," observed one senior UN official. "We should not suggest that this summit has achieved complete success that is needed. The gap between where we are and what research requires remains dangerously wide."

If the world is to prevent the most severe impacts of climate collapse, the global discussions alone will prove insufficient.