In Belém, a draft agreement is being discussed: Participants at the World Climate Conference are debating a preliminary joint final declaration. The EU had to make significant concessions.

After protracted negotiations, a first draft of the final declaration for the COP30 UN Climate Change Conference has been reached in Belém, Brazil. This was reported by the news agencies AFP and Reuters. The breakthrough apparently came after a long round of negotiations overnight, the BBC reports.

Resolution text without the term"fossil energy"

The European Union has therefore failed to secure a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels. The overarching draft resolution now presented does not mention fossil fuels; it merely refers to a call made at the penultimate COP in Dubai. At that time, a"transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems" was called for.

The resolution text refers to the need to drastically reduce global greenhouse gas emissions in order to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement. It also includes a commitment to triple aid for developing countries to adapt to the consequences of global warming by 2035. The draft is currently undergoing final discussion in plenary.

Environment Minister Schneider is"a little disappointed".

German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider expressed his disappointment that no agreement on phasing out fossil fuels had been reached in Belém. However, he emphasized that the decision now presented was"by no means a step backward, but rather an interim step." Germany and the EU would now "forge alliances" for the next steps to put a "stop sign" on fossil fuels.

The EU and its allies, including Colombia, Chile, Kenya, and several small island states threatened by rising sea levels, had called on the Brazilian COP presidency, prior to the agreement, to submit a revised proposal"that reflects the views of the majority and restores balance, ambition, and credibility to the process." The conference was subsequently extended yesterday. Schneider emphasized that they had been confronted with a"very forceful" coalition of oil-producing countries.

Schneider criticizes the lack of ambition to combat deforestation.

"I would have expected a louder voice to be heard, especially from the countries most affected, the island nations of Africa, also on the issue of climate protection," lamented Schneider."To be honest, that was only heard from Europe." He would also have liked a much stronger signal against deforestation. It was a climate conference"that has lasting value and has taken a side step, an interim step."

Nevertheless, the minister emphasized, with regard to the US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement:"The crucial thing is that the world is at the table, that a major player has left the country, and yet they are still reaching a result that brings progress." However, this is not enough to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees as agreed.

EU Climate Commissioner: Agreement “goes in the right direction”

Schneider's State Secretary Jochen Flasbarth told the AFP news agency that with the revised resolution, the world is now at least in a better position"than two days ago." He explained the EU's decision not to block the resolution by withholding its consent by saying that there is "no other process" for advancing global climate protection efforts than the UN climate conferences.

EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra also said that the EU would have liked to see"more ambition" in the outcome of the conference. However, the agreement is at least"a step in the right direction." At the UN climate conferences, decisions must be reached by consensus among the approximately 190 negotiating states. The world is going through difficult political times. Therefore, an agreement at the climate conference has"value in itself." But the EU will continue its efforts."The world is what it is. And the conference is what it is."

French Environment and Climate Minister Monique Barbut described the agreement as "unambitious." While it didn't raise the level of ambition, it also didn't involve any setbacks."I cannot call this COP a success," she added.