UN climate summit drops mention of fossil fuels from draft deal
All mention of fossil fuels, by far the biggest contributor to climate change, was removed from the draft agreement negotiated at the COP30 UN climate talks in Belém, Brazil.
At the meeting attended by nearly 200 countries, draft agreements often go through multiple revisions because all parties must agree for an agreement to be accepted.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and some countries, including Britain, want the summit to see countries commit to stronger, faster action to reduce fossil fuel use.
An earlier text included three possible ways to achieve this, but this wording has now been removed following opposition from oil-producing countries.
A source close to the negotiations said Saudi Arabia and a bloc of countries called the Arab Group were blocking the fossil fuel deal. The BBC approached Saudi Arabia for comment.
“We express our deep concerns about the current offer, which is being evaluated on a take-it-or-leave-it basis,” the statement said.
“We cannot support an outcome that does not include a roadmap for implementing a just, orderly and equitable transition away from fossil fuels.”
Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries are blocking the fossil fuel deal, a source close to the negotiations said. The BBC approached Saudi Arabia for comment.
Setting aside the language would likely be a negotiating tactic that would increase the temperature in negotiations and force countries to reach an agreement.
The meeting is a tense and sensitive diplomatic process as countries jostle to protect their national interests while also trying to solve the problem of climate change.
Some observers question the value of complex, legal negotiations that almost always go overboard.
But others point to significant advances linked to COP agreements in recent years in measures to combat climate change, including renewable energy, electric vehicles and nature conservation.
Other issues discussed at the COP include the climate finance gap promised by richer countries to developing countries most affected by climate change.
The new draft agreement calls for a global effort to triple the financing available to countries by 2030.
But it was not said whether this should come from richer countries or other sources such as the private sector.
This could anger poorer countries, which want stronger support from richer countries and have heavily criticized what they consider a paltry agreement at last year’s COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Deforestation was a topic of concern at the meeting, which took place on the edge of the Brazilian Amazon.
The new draft also weakened language on combating deforestation.
“For a COP hosted in the Amazon, it is jarring that deforestation has taken a backseat,” said Kelly Dent, Director of External Affairs at World Animal Protection.
“The wildlife and indigenous people who call the forest home deserve better than this.”
The two-week meeting was interrupted by two evictions.
Last week, a group of protesters stormed the COP grounds in Belém with banners reading “Our forests are not for sale.”
The fire that broke out on Thursday caused a hole in the coating covering the area, causing 13 people to suffer from smoke inhalation. The summit was evacuated and closed for at least six hours.
The inclusion of the largest number of delegates from indigenous groups in the summit so far was praised.
