What's happened
On November 22, 2025, the COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil, concluded with a deal urging accelerated climate action and tripling adaptation finance by 2035. However, the agreement omitted a fossil fuel phase-out roadmap amid opposition from major oil producers, sparking criticism from many nations and climate advocates.
What's behind the headline?
Divisions Undermine Climate Progress
The COP30 agreement reflects the persistent global struggle to reconcile economic interests with urgent climate imperatives. Despite broad consensus on the need to accelerate climate action and increase adaptation funding, fossil fuel phase-out remains a contentious issue. Major oil and gas producers, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, and India, resisted explicit commitments, diluting the summit's impact.
The Role of Geopolitics and Economic Dependencies
The absence of the US delegation under President Trump, who dismisses climate change, weakened the summit's leverage. Meanwhile, the Arab Group's firm stance on protecting energy industries highlights how fossil fuel dependency shapes national positions. This dynamic stalls decisive action, as seen in the exclusion of fossil fuel language from the final text.
Financial Commitments and Equity Challenges
The deal's call to triple adaptation finance by 2035 addresses developing nations' demands but lacks clarity on funding sources, raising concerns about accountability and sufficiency. Without guaranteed public funding, vulnerable countries may struggle to implement necessary climate resilience measures.
Implications and Outlook
COP30's outcome, while a step forward in multilateral cooperation, falls short of the transformative change science demands. The separate 'roadmaps' on fossil fuels and deforestation, to be issued post-summit, lack the binding force of consensus agreements. This fragmentation risks delaying critical transitions and undermines trust among climate-vulnerable nations.
What This Means for the Reader
The summit's limited progress signals that global climate efforts remain hampered by political and economic divides. Individuals and policymakers should anticipate continued challenges in achieving rapid decarbonization and increased climate finance. The urgency to hold governments accountable and push for transparent, equitable climate policies will intensify in coming years.
What the papers say
Al Jazeera's coverage highlights the summit's breakthrough in tripling adaptation finance but underscores the absence of fossil fuel phase-out language, quoting UN Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledging the gap between ambition and science. The European Union's climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra described the final text as "not perfect" but a "step in the right direction," while also expressing disappointment over the lack of fossil fuel commitments (Al Jazeera Staff, 22 Nov 2025).
France 24 and Reuters detail the intense negotiations and the standoff between the EU and the Arab Group, led by Saudi Arabia, which blocked fossil fuel phase-out language. Reuters notes the draft's call for a "Global Implementation Accelerator" and the tripling of climate finance, but also the uncertainty over funding sources (France 24, 22 Nov 2025; Reuters, 22 Nov 2025).
The Independent and The Times of Israel provide critical perspectives on the deal's weaknesses, emphasizing the exclusion of fossil fuels from the final text and the resulting dissatisfaction among over 30 countries, including Colombia and small island states. The Independent quotes climate advocates calling the text "shamefully weak" and warns of potential delays due to objections (Seth Borenstein, 22 Nov 2025; The Times of Israel, 22 Nov 2025).
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago attempted to mediate by proposing separate roadmaps on fossil fuels and deforestation, but these lack the consensus weight of the main agreement (Al Jazeera Staff, 22 Nov 2025; The New Arab, 21 Nov 2025).
Overall, the sources reveal a summit marked by geopolitical tensions, economic interests, and the challenge of balancing ambition with consensus, resulting in a deal that advances climate finance but sidesteps fossil fuel phase-out commitments.
How we got here
COP30, held in Belem, Brazil, was a pivotal UN climate summit following COP28's call for fossil fuel transition. The conference faced deep divisions over fossil fuel phase-out language and climate finance commitments, complicated by geopolitical tensions and the absence of the US delegation under President Trump.
Go deeper
- Why was there no consensus on fossil fuel phase-out at COP30?
- What does tripling climate adaptation finance mean for developing countries?
- How did geopolitical tensions affect the COP30 negotiations?
Common question
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Why Are Fossil Fuels Being Excluded from COP30 Talks?
The COP30 climate summit in Belem is facing a major deadlock over fossil fuels. While many nations push for concrete steps to phase out coal, oil, and gas, others oppose these measures, leading to disagreements that threaten global climate progress. Understanding why fossil fuels are being excluded and what this means for the future of climate action is crucial. Below, we explore the key questions surrounding this contentious issue and what it could mean for our planet.
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Did COP30 Commit to Phasing Out Fossil Fuels?
COP30 in Belem aimed to accelerate global climate action, but key questions remain. Did the summit succeed in pushing for a fossil fuel phase-out? Why was there division among nations? And what does this mean for our climate goals? Here’s what you need to know about the outcomes and ongoing debates from COP30.
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What Are the Next Steps After COP30 in Climate Action?
COP30 in Belem concluded with some progress but also significant divisions, especially over the absence of a fossil fuel phase-out. As nations grapple with these disagreements, many are wondering what comes next for global climate efforts. How will countries adapt their policies? What can individuals do to support change? Here’s a breakdown of what the COP30 results mean and what steps are likely to follow.
More on these topics
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Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At 8.5 million square kilometers and with over 211 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most
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Wopke Bastiaan Hoekstra is a Dutch politician serving as Leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal since 2020. He has also been Minister of Finance in the third cabinet of Prime Minister Mark Rutte since 2017.
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The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations.
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Donald John Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
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The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. Its members have a combined area of 4,233,255.3 km² and an estimated total population of about 447 million.
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The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are yearly conferences held in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.