By Were Kelly
Critical United Nations climate negotiations at the COP30 summit in Brazil have been thrown into disarray, forcing an extension as delegates remain deadlocked over the explicit mention of fossil fuel phase-out in the final agreement.
The stalemate, primarily between the European Union and major oil-producing nations, has left the summit’s outcome in peril and drawn fierce criticism from vulnerable island states.
The Brazilian presidency of the summit circulated a draft text that many delegates and observers have criticised as dangerously “watered down,” lacking the clear language on ending the use of coal, oil, and gas that scientists say is essential to meeting global climate targets.
The EU has been pushing for a firm commitment, while other nations have advocated for weaker phrasing such as “phase down” or have emphasised technologies like carbon capture over outright elimination.
A delegate from a Pacific island nation, whose homeland faces existential threats from sea-level rise, made an emotional plea to the plenary. “We are not here to negotiate our obituaries. Every diluted word in that text is a sentence for our communities to drown,” they said.
The human stakes of the diplomatic wrangling were laid bare, underscoring the vast gap between the scientific imperatives and political realities.
The impasse risks a significant delay in global emissions targets, as the COP agreement sets the direction for national policies for years to come. “This is a fundamental test of the Paris Agreement’s credibility,” said a senior climate policy analyst.
“If the world cannot agree to name the primary cause of the crisis,fossil fuels,in a meaningful way, then the entire process is called into question.” The Brazilian hosts are under immense pressure to broker a compromise.
As the talks enter overtime, diplomats are working through the night in a last-ditch effort to find consensus. The world is watching to see if the summit can produce a historic commitment to transition away from fossil fuels or if it will conclude with a vague statement that kicks the can further down the road.
Source: AFP
