What exactly does this 'deal' mean?
So what has actually happened here in Belém?
After two weeks of tough talking, negotiators have approved a key agreement by consensus, despite it being massively disappointing for at least half the countries at this COP.
The deal that’s been done, though, is mainly a re-iteration of stuff that’s already been agreed at previous meetings.
There is nothing clear or obvious about a move away from fossil fuels. There is nothing much about stopping deforestation. There is some commitment of money for poorer countries to cope with climate impacts, but it’s the equivalent of “the cheque’s in the post.”
The president of the COP did announce two “roadmaps” on deforestation and one on transitioning away from fossil fuels, but these are mostly a sop to the audience here who desperately wanted those issues mentioned in the main text but couldn’t overcome the objections of others including Saudi Arabia, Russia and India.
These “roadmaps” have no legal standing and are little more than a crumb of comfort.
As one observer said – they’d never seen so many people so underwhelmed by so little progress at a COP.
Of course, not all countries will be disappointed in the outcome tonight. Those who are large producers of fossil fuels or whose economies are dependent on them will welcome the pause in ambition.
It's been a complicated COP with a complicated outcome and it's emblematic of a wider world where there's increasingly less consensus on what to do about global warming.
What is happening now at the COP30 final meeting?
That's the question we're asking ourselves. There's a real sense of chaos and confusion in here.
The final meeting has been suspended.
The COP30 president is on stage with the UN climate chief Simon Stiell - they're likely discussing what to do about Colombia's angry objection.
A huge crowd of country delegates and media are huddled around Colombia's representative as she explains why she made an objection.
She says the COP procedures weren't followed, and their point of view wasn't allowed to be heard.
Once a deal has been passed here, it can't be undone.
But the COP president may be trying to see if Colombia's point of view can be included in other smaller deals yet to be passed.
Brazil will make its own 'roadmaps' - but these will carry less weight
As we've reported, Brazil has announced plans for "roadmaps" to move away from fossil fuels and halt and reverse deforestation.
The idea is to set out a clearer path for how countries intend to meet these pledges, which were agreed at previous conferences.
The plan for roadmaps had support from dozens of countries - but also faced strong opposition. In the end, the opposition won.
The deal agreed doesn't include any reference to those roadmaps - so there's no new ambition on fossil fuels or deforestation.
As a compromise, the Brazilian hosts will start their own initiatives, which willing countries can sign up to.
But this will carry much less weight than if it had been part of the main deal, which would have had the backing of all countries.
Which countries are the barriers to a fossil fuel deal?
As we've mentioned, dozens of countries have supported Brazil’s call for a fossil fuel "roadmap" - a plan for how to move away from coal, oil and gas, the main causes of climate change.
But the idea has strong opposition, particularly from major fossil fuel producers.
French Environment Minister Monique Barbut said yesterday that the deal was being blocked by "oil-producing countries - Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, but joined by many emerging countries".
The reasons are obvious. These countries either have huge reserves of fossil fuels or rely heavily on them to power their economies.
Some developing countries argue they should be allowed to exploit their reserves as other countries have done in the past.
And they have often argued for the focus to be on reducing emissions, rather than fossil fuels.
But without technologies to capture the emissions from fossil fuels – which are not widely available – burning more coal, oil and gas means more warming.
And that would mean climate change continuing to get worse.
More than 80 countries have called for plan to quit fossil fuels
The UK is among a group of countries that has rejected the new deal that omitted any mention of fossil fuels, by far the largest contributor to climate change.
More than 80 countries have called on a plan to quit fossil fuels altogether.
An earlier text of the agreement included three possible routes to achieve a phase-out, but that language has been dropped after opposition from oil-producing nations.
A letter co-signed by the UK reads: "We express deep concern regarding the current proposal under consideration for a take it or leave it."
In 2023, at COP28 in Dubai, world leaders agreed to transition away from burning planet-warming fossil fuels. It was the first time climate talks addressed fossil fuels head-on. But a roadmap to make that happen still hasn't materialised.
President suspended meeting after Colombia's angry speech
COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago has just suspended the talks after Colombia's angry intervention.
He says he'll now consult with countries.
It's a sign this might not be over after all.
"What do you expect when you don't listen?" an observer sitting next to me from an NGO called Plant for the Planet said.
China ramps up charm offensive with extra pandas
Was it the many copies of Xi Jinping’s speeches on sale? Or the ubiquitous cuddly pandas?
Perhaps it was the much-needed fans here for the heat and humidity outside. Whatever the reason, China’s pavilion here proved a huge draw, with long queues forming of people keen to get their hands on Chinese tat.
The pandas definitely seem to be part of the charm offensive from the world’s biggest emitter of planet-warming carbon.
Many expected China to take a bigger leadership role – but the world’s dominant producer of renewable technology has a different view.
China was content to sit quietly and support others who want to slow down the transition away from fossil fuels like India and Saudi Arabia. It is the world’s biggest coal producer after all.
Despite their current power and size, it seems to still suit China to play the role of the developing country that it was when the UN climate body was formed back in 1992. With extra pandas!
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