The Cop30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil, has overrun its scheduled final day, with countries still far apart on a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels. Summit president André Corrêa do Lago issued a plea to preserve the Paris agreement as negotiations continued late into the night.
Negotiating texts released early on Friday did not include the roadmap concept, and observers reported that the Arab group of nations had warned any mention of phasing out fossil fuels could cause talks to collapse. One representative from a climate-vulnerable country said, 'Sometimes it’s like we are arguing with robots.'
UK energy secretary Ed Miliband insisted a deal on a roadmap away from fossil fuels needed to happen 'one way or another', even if voluntary. Laurence Tubiana, an architect of the Paris agreement, urged countries not to fear a roadmap, saying each nation would set its own path according to national circumstances.
Tubiana also argued that countries demanding more adaptation finance should support a fossil fuel phase-out, as it would reduce the need for adaptation. She criticised those wanting to delay updating national climate plans, asking, 'What is the point of meeting for a Cop if you do not want to think about NDCs?'
Meanwhile, Turkey and Australia agreed on details for hosting next year’s Cop31 summit, with Turkey as president and Australia’s energy minister Chris Bowen as vice-president. Africa continued to push for a tripling of finance from rich countries to help poorer nations adapt to climate impacts.
