The climate change conference, COP30, at Belém in the Amazon, Brazil, ended on overtime on Saturday afternoon without agreeing on conclusions to phase-out or transition away fossil fuels because of opposition by Saudi Arabia and other oil rich countries.
Wopke Hoekstra, the European Union’s climate commissioner, twitted on Saturday that the outcome was a step in the right direction, but the bloc would have liked more. Only hours before the last minutes talks, he said in a speech that, “Under no circumstances are we going to accept this text. Nothing that is remotely close to what is now on the table”.
“We need to make sure that the shift from fossil fuels to clean energy is real and in the text. The same is true for all elements of the global stocktake. What on earth did we then do two years ago? The problem has become larger and our bar is going lower. This is not acceptable. Let's be clear on all of these elements, and certainly on transitioning away.”
COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago admitted that the talks had been tough. "We know some of you had greater ambitions for some of the issues at hand," he said. Several countries objected to the summit ending without stronger plans for reining in greenhouse gases or addressing fossil fuels.
André Corrêa do Lago was accused of neglecting to ask if there were any protests against the proposals before they were hammered out. The host country, Brazil, has been accused of a lack of transparency and an aggressive style when leading the negotiations during the climate negotiations.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a mixed verdict on X, thanking the Brazilian Presidency and writing that important results were obtained. But mostly he was disappointed.
"It’s difficult to reach a consensus in a period of deep geopolitical divide. So, evidently, we cannot pretend that the COP has delivered everything that is needed. We must keep pushing for higher climate ambition & greater solidarity. To all those who marched, negotiated, advised, reported & mobilized, I say: Don’t give up. History is on your side – and so is the UN.”
COP30 itself was climate-neutral, with 130 thousand tonnes of CO₂ offset and certified, but what did it achieve in tackling the climate crisis? The main result is a Five-Year Vision for the Global Climate Action Agenda to accelerate voluntary climate action, without mentioning fossil fuels. The Action Agenda includes more than 480 initiatives to deliver 117 concrete delivery plans — known as Plans to Accelerate Solutions.
The European Commission issued a press release stating that the EU stood united for strong climate action and the Paris Agreement goals at COP30 and put a positive spin on the outcome as it did after previous COPs. “EU negotiators worked with partners to secure an agreement that recognises the need to keep the 1.5C limit of global average temperatures within reach, and to transition away from fossil fuels."
"In an era of changing geopolitics and growing disinformation, and with communities across the globe increasingly feeling climate impacts, it is more important than ever to stand behind our core principles in the fight against climate change: science, multilateralism and cooperation with global partners, in particular the most vulnerable."
The Commission highlighted its own Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), delivered one day before the start of the conference. “At COP30, a total of 86 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement has been submitted by 113 Parties. This includes the new EU NDC setting out a reduction of net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 66.25 – 72.5 % below 1990 levels by 2035, comprising all sectors of the economy and all GHGs."
“Temperature levels have widely varied over the years being on the rise. Even if more progress is necessary to achieve the temperature goal, the full implementation of the latest NDCs will bend the emission curve providing a significant collective progress towards the temperature goal.”
The Commission is optimistic about the new “Global Implementation Accelerator”. It will provide a global response to the mitigation gap and accelerate implementation across all sectors to keep 1.5C within reach, according to the Commission.
COP30 also agreed on a set of indicators to guide and enable investments and programmes on adaptation. The parties at the conference also called for tripling by 2035 finance for adaptation in the context of the climate finance commitments.
A coalition of more than 80 willing countries, including the EU and its Member States, launched under Brazil's leadership a partnership to transition away from fossil fuels. Parties also agreed on accelerating implementation of the Just Transition pathways to 1.5C. Those recognise the importance of human rights, labour rights, gender equality as well as inclusive stakeholder engagement and social dialogue.
