UN climate talks go into overtime as divisions over fossil fuels persist

Brazil’s UN climate talks have passed their scheduled deadline because countries are still polarized over a proposed agreement that makes no mention of eliminating fossil fuels.

At the COP30 summit in Belem, Brazil, negotiators held closed-door discussions on Friday evening as they tried to resolve differences and reach an agreement that included concrete steps to address the climate crisis.

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Climate activists and other experts are concerned about a draft proposal that was made public earlier this day because it made no mention of fossil fuels, which is the main cause of climate change.

Before releasing them for further negotiations, COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago said, “This cannot be an agenda that divides us.” We must reach a consensus, he says.

The conflict over the future of coal, oil, and gas has raised the difficulty of reaching a consensus at the annual UN conference, which demonstrates how globally determined we are to stop global warming from having the worst effects.

According to Monica Yanakiew of Al Jazeera from Rio de Janeiro on Friday afternoon, “many countries, especially oil-producing nations or countries that depend on fossil fuels, have stated that they do not want this to be mentioned in a final agreement.”

In addition, dozens of other nations have stated that they will not support any agreement that doesn’t outline a plan for the elimination of fossil fuels, according to Yanakiew.

This is a significant divisive point, she said, adding that the transition from fossil fuels has also been a key topic at the climate conference.

Many developing nations, including those with higher risk of climate change, including more severe weather events, have argued that they want wealthy countries to bear more of the cost of the crisis.

“So there is a lot being discussed, and negotiators say this could likely continue over the weekend,” said Yanakiew.

The UN Environment Programme has issued a warning ahead of COP30 that the world will “very likely” exceed the 1.5-degree Celsius (2. 7-degree Fahrenheit) warming limit&nbsp, which is a goal that has been agreed upon by the Paris Agreement, within the next ten years.

At least two billion people, or one-quarter of the world’s population, are at risk from the expansion of fossil fuel projects, according to Amnesty International’s recent report.

Nafkote Dabi, the climate policy lead at Oxfam International, said it was “unacceptable” for any final agreement to exclude a plan to phase out fossil fuels in a statement released on Friday.

According to Dabi, “a roadmap is necessary, and it must be just, equitable, and supported by real support for the Global South.”