COP30 Pledges to Triple Climate Aid for Vulnerable Nations but Sidesteps Fossil-Fuel Phase-Out

World leaders meeting at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, approved a compromise agreement on Saturday that increases support for vulnerable countries but stops short of an explicit call to phase out fossil fuels. Delegates only finalized the text after negotiations stretched through the night, reflecting sharp divisions over language on oil, gas and coal.

The adopted text commits to reviewing climate-related trade barriers and urges developed countries to 'at least triple' the financial assistance available to developing nations to help them adapt to extreme weather and climate shocks. It also calls on 'all actors to work together to significantly accelerate and scale up climate action worldwide' with the aim of keeping the 1.5°C warming limit within reach.

European officials described the outcome as modest but worthwhile. EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said the result was 'a step in the right direction' while acknowledging that the bloc had hoped for stronger commitments. France's ecological transition minister, Monique Barbut, called the text 'rather flat' but said she would not oppose it because 'there is nothing extraordinarily bad in it.'

Some delegations and civil society groups criticized the final text as insufficient. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla said the result 'fell short of expectations' even as he stressed the importance of multilateral cooperation. Activists argued the agreement made progress on finance but lacked the urgent action the climate crisis demands.

Divisions at Belém were especially pronounced on proposals to phase out fossil fuels. Oil-producing countries and nations heavily dependent on oil, gas and coal resisted explicit phase-out language, while climate-vulnerable states and many campaigners pushed for stronger signals to accelerate the energy transition. Debates over climate finance — who pays and how much — also proved contentious, with developing countries demanding greater contributions from wealthier nations.

As host, Brazil pressed for a show of unity. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged delegates to demonstrate commitment 'without imposing anything on anyone, without setting deadlines for each country to decide what it can do within its own time, within its own possibilities.'

At the closing session, COP30 President Andre Aranha Corrêa do Lago acknowledged calls for greater ambition and announced plans to produce two roadmaps: one to halt and reverse deforestation and another to support a just, orderly and equitable transition away from fossil fuels. He also said the first international conference focused on phasing out fossil fuels is scheduled to take place in Colombia in April.

Asad Rehman, chief executive director of Friends of the Earth, said richer countries 'had to be dragged — really kicking and screaming — to the table' and accused some delegations of trying to weaken the final wording. He described the agreement as incremental progress that still falls short of the scale of action needed.

Overall, COP30 secured a significant finance pledge and a commitment to explore trade-related barriers, but left a major gap on explicit fossil-fuel phase-out language. The new roadmaps and the planned April conference in Colombia could create momentum, but many observers say faster and stronger action will be needed to keep the 1.5°C goal attainable.