COP30: Coming to a Close

COP30 has ended with a deal that makes no direct mention of phasing out fossil fuels, despite intense negotiations and calls from over 80 countries for stronger commitments. The outcome left many delegates disheartened, particularly those nations that had fought to include clear language on ending the use of coal, oil, and gas.

Oil-producing countries resisted these efforts, arguing they should retain the right to use their natural resources to fuel economic growth. The result was a final text called the Mutirão that urges nations to “voluntarily accelerate” reductions in fossil fuel use rather than mandating action.

Tensions and Walkouts in Belém

The negotiations were often fraught. Delegates clashed over how far and how fast the global community should move toward decarbonisation. In the final session, Colombia’s climate delegate Daniela Durán González criticised the process, saying countries were not given the opportunity to object to the final deal. “We have sufficient scientific evidence that more than 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels,” she said, adding that it was time the convention addressed that “reality.”

The frustration was compounded by the absence of a United States delegation after President Donald Trump withdrew the country from the Paris Agreement. Veteran negotiators described the U.S. absence as a “hole” in the talks, noting that the country had historically bolstered climate blocs such as the EU and UK.

Despite setbacks, some participants took solace in the fact that the conference did not collapse or reverse earlier commitments. Antigua and Barbuda’s climate ambassador Ruleta Thomas called the continuation of dialogue “a relief,” saying it ensured “every country can be heard.”

Uneven Reactions to the Final Text

For many countries, particularly small island and vulnerable states, the deal was a disappointment. Yet others viewed it as pragmatic progress. India described the outcome as “meaningful,” while representatives for low-lying nations called it “imperfect” but still a step forward.

Developing countries secured pledges for increased climate finance to help them adapt to worsening impacts. Jiwoh Abdulai, Sierra Leone’s environment minister, said the agreement recognised that countries with “historic responsibility” have specific duties to support those most at risk.

UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband described the meeting as “a step forward,” even as he acknowledged it fell short of expectations. EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra echoed that sentiment, noting that negotiators “would have preferred to have more ambition on everything.”

A Summit Defined by Chaos and Contradictions

The two-week event was marred by logistical challenges. Heavy storms flooded parts of the venue, restrooms ran dry, and delegates endured stifling heat. Security incidents including protests that broke through barriers and a fire that tore through part of the conference roof further disrupted proceedings.

Host nation Brazil sought to highlight its role as a defender of the Amazon, launching a fund known as the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, which aims to pay countries for protecting tropical forests. By the end of the summit, the initiative had raised around $6.5 billion, though the UK has yet to contribute. More than 90 countries also backed a new global “roadmap” for halting deforestation.

Still, Brazil’s credibility was questioned by some delegates, given its continued expansion of oil and gas exploration at the mouth of the Amazon River.

An Unfinished Story

As COP30 concluded, the sense among many delegates was one of cautious endurance rather than triumph. While the process remains intact and climate finance commitments grew, the lack of a binding fossil fuel phase-out left a glaring omission in the global response to the climate crisis.

The world now looks ahead to COP31, where pressure will mount once again to bridge the divide between ambition and action and to ensure that the next agreement does not simply repeat the same unresolved debates.