COP30 in Belém: Nearly 200 Nations Approve Modest Climate Deal, Omitting Fossil-Fuel Roadmap

Nearly 200 countries agreed by consensus to a cautious climate deal at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, concluding two weeks of tense negotiations without an explicit roadmap to phase out fossil fuels. The United States did not attend the summit, and delegates debated late into the night before the agreement was adopted.

What the agreement says

The final text recalls the COP28 consensus in Dubai and urges nations to voluntarily "accelerate" climate action, but it does not include the formal language many had sought for a phased transition away from oil, gas and coal. Instead of mandated deadlines, the deal emphasizes voluntary acceleration, calls for strengthened cooperation on deforestation, and asks parties to engage in dialogue on related trade issues.

Finance, trade and follow-up

• The agreement calls for efforts to "at least triple" adaptation finance by 2035 to help vulnerable countries prepare for floods, droughts and other climate impacts.
• Trade issues are not resolved in the text; the outcome requests continued dialogue on trade and climate-related matters.
• COP30 President André Correa do Lago said he will spearhead follow-up roadmaps on deforestation and on transitioning away from fossil fuels and will convene high-level meetings to advance those efforts.

Diplomacy and division

European negotiators had pressed for language demanding a concrete roadmap to phase out fossil fuels, but that wording was opposed by several oil- and gas-producing countries and some emerging economies. More than 30 countries — including European states, emerging economies and small island nations — had warned they would reject any outcome lacking a phaseout plan. The European Union ultimately accepted the softened language while stressing disappointment at the missed opportunity for stronger commitments.

"We're not going to hide the fact that we would have preferred to have more, to have more ambition on everything," said EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra. "It is not perfect, but it is a hugely important step in the right direction."

Scenes at the summit

The two weeks in Belém were marked by disruption: Indigenous protesters briefly blocked the conference entrance, and a fire inside the venue forced a mass evacuation. For Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a failed summit would have been politically costly; he described COP30 as a demonstration that multilateralism and science can prevail.

China's head delegate, Li Gao, welcomed the outcome as a pragmatic success achieved under difficult circumstances, and climate experts noted that while the deal yielded some advances, many delegates left disappointed that negotiators did not secure a clear path to phase out fossil fuels.

Next steps

Delegates and observers expect a mix of diplomacy and technical work in the months ahead: high-level meetings, proposed roadmaps from the COP presidency, and renewed pressure from vulnerable countries for increased adaptation finance. Analysts say the outcome reflects current geopolitical tensions and competing priorities, but also shows that international climate cooperation can still produce consensus-level results.