COP30 Document Fails to Mention Exit from Fossil Fuels

Belem, Brazil, Nov. 22 (Jiji Press)–A key U.N. climate meeting ended Saturday by adopting an outcomes document that made no direct reference to transitioning away from fossil fuels. At the 30th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP30, in Belem, Brazil, participants agreed to accelerate efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to achieve the goal of curbing the average global temperature rise at or below 1.5 degrees Celsius from the pre-industrial level. But the outcomes document did not directly mention an exit from fossil fuels, which had been the focus of attention in COP30. The meeting was extended by one day. The document said that a new mechanism will be established to support the implementation of measures to curb global warming by participating countries as there are gaps between their greenhouse gas reduction targets and actual emissions amounts. But it lacked concrete measures. Brazil, the host of COP30, initially included in a draft of the outcomes document an exit from fossil fuels, but deleted the phrase in the face of opposition from oil-producing countries and others. Meanwhile, COP30 chair Andre Correa do Lago unveiled plans to discuss the compilation of a road map on the phase-out of fossil fuels. On support for developing countries, the document called for efforts to at least triple by 2035 funds for measures to reduce damage from climate change, such as rises in temperatures and frequent natural disasters. The target year was pushed back from the initially envisioned 2030, in response to caution about such support among some developed countries. While the United States has decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change, the outcomes document said that participating countries will unite their efforts to tackle global warming by strongly reaffirming the importance of multilateralism. Turkey will host COP31 in 2026 and Ethiopia COP32 in 2027. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]