Nearly 200 countries meeting in the Brazilian Amazon adopted a modest consensus on climate action on Saturday 22 November at COP30, with no plans to phase out fossil fuels, a disappointing outcome for Europe, but considered predictable. They validate major decisions of the UN climate conference, without the roadmap for moving away from fossil fuels that European countries and their allies have called for.
The document, the result of a painful compromise after two weeks of negotiations, was adopted by consensus, with none of the nearly 200 member states of the Paris agreement expressing objection before a crushing blow from the conference president, Brazil’s André Correa do Lago. The text also calls for tripling funding for climate adaptation in developing countries over the next ten years, which is one of their urgent demands. Follow our live stream.
The Brazilian Presidency is committed to a “roadmap” on fossil fuels. “We know some of you have bigger ambitions.” Brazil’s diplomat leading the conference, André Correa do Lago, acknowledged some of the topics discussed at the UN climate meeting, while several countries expected binding decisions from the COP on oil, gas and coal. He therefore announced on Saturday his intention to launch the next one “roadmap” regarding ending the use of fossil fuels, as well as a second effort to fight deforestation, for countries that volunteer.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is “delighted” that Türkiye is hosting COP31, welcoming the agreement reached with Australia. This was conveyed by the Turkish President in his speech on Saturday before the leaders gathered at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. The agreement, endorsed by the regional group to which the two countries belong, must still be ratified by all the countries gathered in Belem for COP30.
China hailed “success under difficult circumstances”. The head of the Chinese delegation at the UN climate conference in Brazil, Li Gao, welcomed the agreement adopted in Bélem on Saturday. “We achieved this success in very difficult circumstances, and therefore it shows that the international community wants to show solidarity and make joint efforts to respond to climate change,” he said, before heading to the closing session.
