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Negotiators approved a text that ramps up money for vulnerable countries while omitting a clear roadmap to phase out the fuels that drive warming. [1]
The deal was finalised after late night sessions and extended negotiations that tested the patience of many delegations. [4]
Officials described the outcome as pragmatic, while critics called it inadequate and tone deaf to the science. [5]
The compromise commits richer countries to at least triple finance for adaptation by 2035, a significant upward revision of current targets. [2]
Yet that financing pledge was bracketed with timelines and indicators that some negotiators say weaken its near term impact. [2]
Delegations from small island states, parts of Latin America and climate justice groups left Belém frustrated that fossil fuel language had been excised. [3]
The final text does include mechanisms for future work on energy transitions, but those mechanisms stop short of a binding fossil fuel phase out at the UN level. [1]
What the final decision actually says
The COP30 decision focuses on scaling up adaptation finance and refining indicators to measure progress in vulnerable countries.
The text calls on developed countries to substantially increase support for adaptation and resilience. [2]
The language on mitigation and energy is intentionally generic, asking “actors” to accelerate action rather than naming fossil fuels. [4]
COP30 presidency documents indicate a commitment to follow up work on energy transition pathways outside the main decision text. [1]
Why fossil fuels were removed from the text
Opposition from major oil, gas and coal producing countries and from states that rely on fossil revenues prevailed during the final drafting. [4]
Negotiators described a political split in which some delegations pushed for explicit phasing language while others warned of economic and energy security consequences. [1]
The result was a middle path that delivered finance commitments rather than a direct fossil fuel roadmap at the UN level. [2]
Voices from the floor
Several delegations, including Colombia and a bloc of at least 29 countries, threatened to hold up the text unless fossil fuel transition language was included. [3]
Those delegations argued that a decision that cannot name fossil fuels is inconsistent with the science and with countries’ own commitments. [1]
Environmental groups said the final package “underdelivers” on what is required to keep 1.5 degrees within reach. [5]
At the same time, several developed nations welcomed the finance package as a pragmatic step in a geopolitically fragmented moment. [4]
Practical consequences and next steps
Practically, the decision increases money channelled to adaptation projects that protect communities from heat, flood and crop failure. [2]
The COP30 presidency said it will advance a separate fossil fuel transition proposal, but that proposal will not carry the same status as a COP decision. [1]
Some countries signalled they will pursue parallel diplomatic and regional initiatives to craft concrete fossil fuel phase out pathways. [6]
Colombia and the Netherlands announced plans to co-host an intergovernmental conference focused on a just transition away from fossil fuels in April 2026. [6]
Assessment
Belém delivered more money and a promise of further work, but it stopped short of the decisive fossil fuel language many scientists and negotiators said was essential. [5]
The final bargain exposed a diplomatic reality in which finance pledges can be agreed, while energy system transformations remain politically fraught. [4]
The outcome makes clear that the UN process will share space with new forums where willing countries and subnational actors attempt to draft operational phase out plans. [6]
What to watch
Watch the follow up work streams promised by the COP30 presidency and the April 2026 conference in Santa Marta for whether technical and financial pathways for a just phase out emerge. [6]
Also watch whether the newly tripled adaptation funding target is implemented in full, and how quickly money reaches communities on the front line. [2]
References
- COP30 seals uneasy climate deal that sidesteps fossil fuels | Reuters
- UN climate talks end with deal for more money to countries hit by climate change | AP News
- Cop30 draft text omits mention of fossil fuel phase-out roadmap | The Guardian
- COP30 deal urges more funds for poorer countries, omits fossil fuels | Al Jazeera
- STATEMENT: COP30 Delivers on Forests and Finance, Underdelivers on Fossil Fuels | WRI
- Governments of Colombia and The Netherlands Announce Co-hosting First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels | Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative
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