The COP30 climate summit faced a critical juncture on Friday concerning the future of fossil fuels as Brazil abandoned efforts to create a global strategy to transition away from oil, gas, and coal in its proposed agreement. The initial draft of this year’s UN climate summit deal, released early on Friday, omitted any mention of fossil fuels, eliminating various options on the topic included in a previous version.
The topic of fossil fuels has been a major point of contention during the two-week conference in Belem, Brazil, with nearly 200 governments participating. A coalition of over 30 nations sent a communication to the COP30 presidency on Thursday, expressing their refusal to support a deal that did not include a commitment to develop a roadmap for moving away from fossil fuels.
This development has set the stage for a showdown in the final hours of the conference, which is set to conclude at 6 p.m. local time. In past COP summits, negotiations have often exceeded their deadlines before reaching a consensus.
“We are not satisfied with the current text proposed,” stated EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, highlighting a lack of ambition in reducing emissions. Countries are expected to voice their opinions on the draft deal during a public session starting around 8 a.m. ET. The final approval of the deal text, subject to further discussions, would require a consensus among the participating nations.
The debate over the roadmap for fossil fuels has been ongoing, with many nations advocating for a clear plan to fulfill the commitment made at COP28 to transition away from fossil fuels. On the contrary, oil-producing nations like Saudi Arabia have been resistant to this approach, according to COP30 negotiators. The stance of the Saudi government’s communication office on this matter remains undisclosed.
A representative from a developing country revealed concerns about the lack of provisions in the draft text addressing issues beyond fossil fuels, including financial matters. The coalition supporting a roadmap, which includes countries like Colombia, France, Germany, and others, expressed disappointment with the current draft, stating it does not meet the essential criteria for a credible COP outcome.
Regarding climate finance and trade, the draft proposal called for a tripling of funding by 2030 to assist nations in adapting to climate change, without specifying the funding sources. The deal also proposed initiating dialogues on trade at future COP summits, involving governmental and non-governmental entities, including the World Trade Organization. This could be a contentious issue for some nations, like the EU, as it may involve discussions on the EU carbon border levy, which has faced criticism from countries like South Africa and India.