Countries at Cop30 in Belém, Brazil, have reached a deal after a bitterly contested summit, with the UN climate chief Simon Stiell declaring that “climate cooperation is alive and kicking” despite stormy political waters. The agreement came after overnight negotiations and compromise on all sides, preventing a feared collapse of the talks in an era of nationalism, war and distrust.
However, the summit failed to bring an end to the fossil fuel age, with opposition led by Saudi Arabia blocking progress. Proposals to end deforestation and transition away from fossil fuels were not agreed and were hived off to processes outside the UN. The overall package was largely seen as incremental, with Greenpeace International’s Jasper Inventor saying: “Cop30 started with a bang of ambition but ended with a whimper of disappointment.”
The summit produced decisions on several issues, including a promise to triple adaptation funding, an agreement for a just transition mechanism, and recognition of Indigenous peoples’ rights. But UN secretary general António Guterres warned that “the gap between where we are and what science demands remains dangerously wide”, as geopolitical divides make consensus ever harder to reach.
Stiell pointed to one section of the Cop30 agreement stating that “the global transition towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development is irreversible”, calling it a political and market signal that cannot be ignored. He acknowledged that the world is not winning the climate fight but said it is still in that fight, with 194 countries standing firm in solidarity despite one country stepping back – an oblique reference to the US under Donald Trump.
