The UN climate summit in Belém closed without any roadmap to abandon fossil fuels. Delegates produced a final text that avoided concrete pathways and sparked accusations of moral failure. Observers criticised the document and argued that it offered no meaningful progress. The EU watched global hesitation grow and felt increasingly isolated as other powers retreated from ambitious climate action. The United States stepped back from international talks and created both political and financial gaps. President Donald Trump openly dismissed climate change and removed US pressure that once supported stronger agreements. Several fossil-fuel-dependent states, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, rejected any commitment to phase out fossil fuels. These countries defended their economic interests and resisted targets that could reshape their industries.
One day before the conference ended, the EU threatened to block the final text. The negotiators required unanimous approval from nearly 200 nations and faced rising diplomatic tension. The bloc concluded that it had no real alternative and endorsed the document while expressing frustration. EU officials stressed that the outcome lacked ambition and failed to match scientific warnings. The 27 EU members still pledged to cut pollution and limit warming to 1.5°C. They promised to continue funding clean projects abroad and to push energy transitions at home. Wopke Hoekstra described the imperfect deal as a step forward and praised EU unity during difficult negotiations.
Mounting Geopolitical Resistance
Dutch MEP Mohammed Chahim said President Lula set high expectations for COP30. He stated that the EU arrived determined to lead a coalition of ambitious states. Fragmentation across the international system obstructed that goal and weakened collective diplomacy. Chahim explained that strong resistance from major oil producers overpowered efforts to secure tougher language. He noted that shifting geopolitical balances reshaped alliances and limited momentum. He said the EU and the United Kingdom struggled to defend ambition while a BRICS-aligned front pushed back. That group, now expanded to ten members, positioned itself as an emerging counterweight to Western influence.
Irish minister Darragh O’Brien voiced deep regret when he endorsed the final text. He highlighted the absence of a credible fossil-fuel phase-out plan, a measure more than 80 nations demanded. Former US Vice President Al Gore condemned the obstruction by petrostates. He argued that their actions blocked a roadmap that science clearly supports. Gore affirmed that Brazil’s COP30 Presidency will still lead efforts to craft such a plan. He said dozens of supportive nations will continue pushing for decisive action.
Warnings From Science and Civil Society
Climate experts and advocates expressed strong disappointment. Nikki Reisch from the Centre for International Environmental Law called the agreement an empty deal. She argued that negotiators ignored repeated scientific and legal calls for a concrete transition. She insisted that leaders must end fossil-fuel use and require polluters to pay for global damage. Reisch warned that major emitters continue to dig in while communities suffer escalating climate impacts. She stated that no amount of political resistance can place high-emitting nations above scientific and legal realities.
Doug Weir from the Conflict and Environment Observatory described the final text as a moral failure. He said vulnerable communities already face devastating impacts and received no new protection. He argued that the world stands no closer to progress than it did after the Dubai conference. A report from Climate Analytics noted that full implementation of COP28 pledges could have sharply reduced warming trends. The analysis projected significant reductions in global heating by 2040 if governments tripled renewable energy, doubled efficiency, and acted on methane. Bill Hare stated that such action could keep warming below 2°C instead of the 2.6°C expected under current policies.
World leaders met for two weeks in Belém to evaluate progress since the Paris Agreement. They reviewed the global effort to prevent temperatures from rising beyond 1.5°C and confronted widening political divides. Delegations recognised the urgent need for action even as they struggled to agree on shared strategies. Negotiators acknowledged that future summits must address these failures more decisively. The next climate conferences will take place in Australia and Turkey and will test whether nations can rebuild momentum.
