Belém, Amazon – The COP30 climate summit, hosted by the Amazonian city of Belém, reached an impasse and missed its scheduled deadline on Friday evening. This came after the European Union rejected the draft final agreement, deeming it weak and ineffective in bolstering global efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
Negotiations continued late into the night. Sharp disagreements over the future of fossil fuels and climate finance highlighted the difficulty of reaching a consensus. This occurred among nearly 200 participating countries.
A confrontation over fossil fuels and financing
The European rejection reignited the confrontation. The draft agreement released by Brazil made no mention of phasing out fossil fuels, angering the 27-member bloc.
EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said, “We will not accept this under any circumstances,” indicating that the EU might “step outside its comfort zone” regarding funding for developing countries. However, this would only happen if the sections of the text related to emissions reductions were strengthened.
In response, some emerging economies and the Arab League countered the European position. The bloc demanded that more funding be allocated to help the poorest countries adapt. A negotiator from a developing country was quoted as saying, “We cannot operate on a one-track approach.” He added, “If there is a track for fossil fuels, there must be another track for climate finance,” according to Reuters.
The Arab Group warns of the collapse of negotiations
The negotiations highlighted the depth of the division. While some 80 governments called for a plan to transition away from fossil fuels, the Arab Group’s negotiating bloc, which includes the UAE and Saudi Arabia, informed a closed-door meeting of negotiators that their energy industries were outside the scope of the discussions.
Sources said that Saudi Arabia delivered a statement from the Arab group warning that targeting its industries would lead to the collapse of negotiations.
A call for unity and difficult choices
The president of the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) on climate change, André Correa de Lagos, urged delegates to reach a consensus. He said, “This cannot be an agenda that divides us. We must reach an agreement among ourselves.”
He stressed that demonstrating multilateral unity would send an important signal. This appeal comes in the absence of the United States, whose president, Donald Trump, has described global warming as a hoax.
Negotiators indicate that the options currently under consideration include only minor amendments to the existing draft. There is also the option of concluding a separate, voluntary side agreement on fossil fuels. Should the deadlock persist, European negotiators are considering withdrawing from the talks rather than accepting the weakened text.
