The EU was unable to push through its demand for a roadmap away from fossil fuels at the World Climate Conference in Belém. The overarching draft decision presented on Saturday does not contain the word "fossil"; it merely refers back to a call made at the penultimate COP in Dubai. At that time, a "transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems" had been called for. The proposal caused considerable turbulence in Belém.

The decision text otherwise refers to the need to drastically reduce global greenhouse gas emissions in order to meet the Paris Climate Agreement. It also contains a commitment to triple support for developing countries for adaptation to the consequences of global warming by 2035.

EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra also said that, while the EU would have liked "more ambition" from the outcome of the conference, the agreement was at least "heading in the right direction".

Escalation at the end

Before the closing text could be adopted, however, things got turbulent: COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago suspended the closing session for consultations. Several countries had previously objected that their concerns about parts of the agreement had not been adequately taken into account. The principle of unanimity applies in plenary. Colombia declared that it was rejecting parts of the closing declaration.

Chaos and uncertainty initially reigned at the conference venue. Only later did the COP President announce that the closing text had been adopted.

Totschnig: "Minimal compromise"… Read the full article on orf.at

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