COP30 Summit Excludes Fossil Fuels from Key Draft Agreement

Sat Nov 22 2025 07:04:46 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The ongoing COP30 climate talks in Belém, Brazil, have seen the removal of fossil fuel commitments from draft agreements, raising concerns among participating nations about the efficacy of the negotiations.

As COP30 progresses in Belém, Brazil, the draft agreements have notably omitted any mentions of fossil fuels despite them being the primary contributors to climate change. Countries such as the UK and Brazil advocate for stronger commitments to reduce fossil fuel usage, while oil-producing nations, including Saudi Arabia, oppose such measures. The absence of fossil fuel regulations could hinder progress in tackling climate change, with some nations expressing deep concerns over the direction of the draft deal.

All mention of fossil fuels, by far the largest contributor to climate change, has been dropped from the draft deal under negotiation as the COP30 UN climate talks in Belém, Brazil enter their final stretch.

Draft agreements at the meeting of nearly 200 countries usually go through multiple revisions as all parties must agree in order for a deal to pass.

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and some countries including the UK want the summit to commit countries to stronger, faster action to reduce their use of fossil fuels.

An earlier text included three possible routes to achieve this, but that language has now been dropped after opposition from oil-producing nations.

A group of countries including the UK have published a letter rejecting the new draft deal.

We express deep concern regarding the current proposal under consideration for a take it or leave it, it said.

We cannot support an outcome that does not include a roadmap for implementing a just, orderly and equitable transition away from fossil fuels.

A source close to the negotiations said that Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations are blocking the fossil fuel deal. The BBC has approached Saudi Arabia for comment.

Dropping the language is likely to be a negotiating tactic to raise the temperature at the talks and force countries to come to agreement.

The meeting is a fraught and delicate diplomatic process as countries jostle to protect their national interests while also attempting to address the issue of climate change.

Some observers question the value of the complex, legalistic talks which almost always over-run. But others point to significant advances in measures to tackle climate change, including renewable energy, electric vehicles, and protection of nature in recent years linked to COP agreements.

Other significant discussions at COP include the gap in climate finance promised by richer nations to developing nations that are most impacted by climate change.

The new draft deal called for global efforts to triple financing available to countries by 2030, but it did not specify whether this funding should come from richer nations or private sources, possibly angering poorer countries.

Deforestation has also been a tense topic at the meeting. The new draft language concerning deforestation has reportedly weakened, which has frustrated environmental advocates.

Despite some setbacks, COP30 has been praised for its inclusion of a record number of indigenous delegates.