Name: COP30 deal sparks backlash for ignoring fossil fuels
Uploaded: 2025-11-23T05:55:07.629Z
Duration: 4 min 26 s
Description: Brazil pushed through a COP30 climate deal boosting finance for poorer nations but avoiding any reference to fossil fuels. Colombia, Panama and Uruguay strongly objected, prompting the COP30 president to halt the plenary for more consultations.

Brazil pushed through a COP30 climate deal boosting finance for poorer nations but avoiding any reference to fossil fuels. Colombia, Panama and Uruguay strongly objected, prompting the COP30 president to halt the plenary for more consultations.

Belém

The COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, concluded after two weeks of negotiations with an agreement that many countries and observers described as weak and underwhelming. The deal reiterated prior commitments but did not include new measures or mention the transition away from fossil fuels, leading to strong objections and disappointment from several nations.

Despite a record presence of Indigenous peoples and a recommitment to increase funding for vulnerable countries, the summit failed to produce concrete plans for fossil fuel transition or deforestation. The president of COP30 announced the creation of two roadmaps on these issues for the coming year, but these will be developed outside the UN framework, involving only willing countries and lacking global enforcement.

COP30 deal sparks backlash for ignoring fossil fuels

And we are going to begin with the COP30 climate summit in Brazil. After two weeks of tense negotiations, a key deal was finally approved, but several countries are voicing strong objections. CBC News international climate correspondent Susan Ormiston is tracking the details for us. I've spoken to her a number of times while she was in the in Belem covering the conference. And now you're here in studio. So good to see you, Susan. Let's talk about the closing session and what took place there. Yeah, I mean, we have a deal. COP30 is near its end after 12 days after a flood, a fire and a protest that broke through into the venue a dramatic couple of weeks. But the agreement is not so dramatic. In fact, one observer quipped he'd never seen so many underwhelmed by so little progress. It's a weak agreement after these talks. It basically reiterates pledges that have been made in previous COP summits. And it led to a angry exchange during the closing meeting of COP30 by countries who are very disappointed not to see any mention of fossil fuels in this agreement. Let's have a listen. One of mine is deeply disappointed. You promised a transparent process that is not and it's not what we're seeing. I raise my flag and you ignore it. I raise a point of order and you ignore it. The COP of the truth cannot support an outcome that ignores science. There is no mitigation if we cannot discuss transitioning away from fossil fuels. Natasha, this goes back to two years ago in Dubai when this agreement, 200 countries said, yes, we agree to transitioning away from fossil fuels. This COP was hoping many countries to come up with a plan on how to do that, because not much has happened since. That didn't happen and neither did a plan for a roadmap for deforestation. So there is a lot of disappointment in the Brazilian process and what was accomplished. And of course, overriding all this was the absence of the US, a major funder of climate finance in the past and some very difficult discussions around that. OK, so let's talk about what's actually in this agreement, what was agreed upon and what it means in terms of preserving climate security. You know, a couple of things came out of this. For me watching it, the presence of Indigenous peoples was very impactful. There were thousands involved in this process, the biggest delegation ever in any climate talks. And there's no question that that had an impact. So that's one positive thing. Another is they recommitted to funding for vulnerable countries most affected by climate change to try to nearly or at least triple the funding for that. But again, there's no mechanism to say how that money is going to be delivered. And in fact, what happened is because this conference was unable to deal with the question of transitioning away from fossil fuels, the president of the COP, a Brazilian diplomat, said, I'm going to go forward in the next year and come up with these roadmaps. Let's listen to him. I, as president of COP30, will therefore create two roadmaps, one on halting and reverting deforestation, another to transitioning away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner. Yes, something and popular, obviously. But the real distinction here, Natasha, is that that will be outside the UN Climate Conference venue. It will be in the future. It will be only for willing countries. There will be no pledge, no enforcement, no agreement across the world that this would happen. So this was a response to the disappointment of not having those issues addressed. But I do wonder if this reveals a weakness, a splintering of the whole COP process, that on some issues they cannot come to an agreement at all. That's fascinating. And it'll be interesting to see how it develops with the next meeting that's off the UN schedule, but then the next COP and what that's going to be like. So really, really fascinating. It was really great to have you there. Really good to have you in studio. Susan Ormston with The Breaking News. Thanks so much.

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