Oil-producing countries have made their point clear in international climate talks again. The latest draft agreement from COP30, shared on the last day of the summit, takes out all mentions of phasing out fossil fuels.
This topic was one of the biggest debates at this year’s summit, held for two weeks in Belem, Brazil, close to the Amazon.
A previous version of the text included different options for cutting down on hydrocarbons.
Many nations, like Germany, Kenya, and vulnerable island states, wanted a clear ‘roadmap’ to follow COP28’s promise for a ‘gradual reduction’ in fossil fuel use.
Even though oil, coal, and natural gas greatly contribute to climate change, the COP28 agreement was the first time fossil fuels were mentioned explicitly after 30 years of talks.
This year, though, Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing nations refused to discuss a roadmap, according to officials who talked to Reuters. In the text shared by the Brazilian presidency early Friday morning, any mention of fossil fuels was taken out.
The draft can still be changed but needs unanimous approval from nearly 200 countries to be finalized.
On Thursday, the summit’s presidency worked with major negotiating groups after a fire broke out at the venue, pausing discussions for a bit. Although COP30 is set to wrap up on Friday, it might go into the weekend, as often happens.
Funding and Trade Policies
The new text aims to triple funds by 2030 for helping poor countries deal with climate change impacts compared to 2025 levels. However, it doesn’t specify if these funds will come from government sources or elsewhere—a point likely to upset poorer nations.
Investments in adaptation projects, like improving infrastructure against extreme weather events, are crucial but often don’t bring high returns, which discourages private sector interest.
Also, the plan says that over the next three COPs there will be talks about how international trade affects climate change with input from the World Trade Organization. This discussion has been a long-standing request from countries like China but may put pressure on the EU due to its carbon border tax often being targeted.
