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COP30 Draft in Belém Sidesteps Fossil-Fuel Phase-Out, Offers Modest Gains

09:11 PM, 11/22/2025
COP30 Draft in Belém Sidesteps Fossil-Fuel Phase-Out, Offers Modest Gains

A draft COP30 text in Belém makes only limited climate commitments, avoiding explicit mention of coal, oil or gas while keeping a brief reference to a 2023 transition agreement. It calls for a meeting next year to "exchange experiences and views," suggesting a delayed roadmap rather than immediate action. The draft endorses tripling adaptation finance for poorer countries by 2035, a move seen as inadequate by many developing nations. Talks were extended into Saturday amid the absence of a U.S. delegation.

BELÉM, Brazil — A draft final text for the U.N. climate summit in Belém proposes only modest steps on climate action and stops short of explicitly calling for a phase-out of fossil fuels. The document preserves a brief reference to a 2023 agreement on transitioning away from fossil fuels but avoids naming coal, oil or natural gas, according to a source close to the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity.

What the draft contains

The text would set up a meeting next year “to exchange experiences and views on related matters,” language that delegates say is a deliberately vague reference to a possible post-fossil-fuel roadmap rather than an immediate, enforceable plan. It also endorses tripling adaptation finance for poorer countries by 2035 — a larger pledge than many wealthy governments signaled they would accept, but one that developing nations argue is insufficient compared with their calls for a 2030 timetable.

Reactions and context

European governments and low-lying Pacific island states that had pushed for an explicit call to accelerate the global shift away from coal, oil and gas are likely to be disappointed. Delegates said oil-producing Arab states lobbied to remove explicit references to the 2023 commitment from the summit record.

The talks were further shaped by the absence of a U.S. delegation; the Trump administration did not send delegates and was widely expected to reject any outcome from the summit. That absence removed a frequent broker from contentious negotiations and altered the balance of influence in the room.

Next steps

Negotiators were due to consider the draft package at a closing session scheduled for Saturday morning after the conference was extended beyond its planned Friday conclusion. If adopted in its current form, the outcome would be seen as a compromise that secures a financial pledge for adaptation but delays stronger, explicit commitments to phase out fossil fuels.

Source: discussions with delegates and a draft text circulated during COP30; one participant granted anonymity to discuss the draft.

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