As COP30 races toward its concluding plenary, negotiators released the summit’s final draft deal on Saturday, revealing significant progress on adaptation and finance but a conspicuous silence on fossil fuels, the most divisive issue of the talks.
The final draft agreement of COP30 has dropped without a direct reference to fossil fuels, deepening tensions at a summit already running past its deadline. With the closing plenary set to begin shortly, delegates brace for potential last-minute clashes over a deal that advances adaptation and finance but sidesteps the central driver of the climate crisis.
A widely supported proposal by Brazil, backed by more than 80 nations, to include a roadmap for transitioning away from fossil fuels failed to survive the final negotiations. Strong resistance from major oil producers, particularly Saudi Arabia, forced its removal. The Brazilian COP Presidency is now expected to release the fossil fuel roadmap independently, alongside a separate text formally outlining next steps on phasing down coal, oil, and gas.
On finance, countries approved a new framework guiding post-2025 climate funding, projecting USD 1.3 trillion per year by 2035 for developing nations. The text promotes expanded public resources, concessional lending, and simplified financing terms. It also reaffirms a key breakthrough from this year’s talks: tripling adaptation finance by 2035.
Adaptation negotiations saw notable progress. The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) indicators have been finalized, with implementation slated to begin in 2026. Countries will have opportunities to revise national plans in future cycles. A new process — the UAE Dialogue — was launched to monitor Paris Agreement targets and help shape upcoming national climate commitments in 2026 and 2027.
While the draft reasserts that the global shift to low-emission, climate-resilient economies is “irreversible,” it acknowledges that current efforts remain insufficient to keep warming to 1.5°C. New multilateral platforms — including the Global Implementation Accelerator and the Belém Mission to 1.5 — aim to speed up action through 2026.
The draft decision on the Warsaw Mechanism for Loss and Damage was approved, yet Articles 7 and 8 of the GGA remain unchanged, a disappointment for several vulnerable countries and civil society groups seeking stronger language.
Global climate leaders reacted cautiously. Jennifer Morgan, former German climate envoy, said: “While far from what is needed, the results in Belém are significant. The Paris Agreement is working, and the phased transition away from fossil fuels, agreed at COP28, is accelerating. If the roadmap is created in a coordinated manner, less developed countries will have a fair chance. Otherwise, the big oil producers will win the race to the last drop.”
Youth activists also voiced concern. Sohanur Rahman, Executive Coordinator of YouthNet Global, warned that a fractured transition would deepen global inequality: “Without a coordinated and just approach, vulnerable countries will be left behind. Global solidarity is essential to ensure the transition is fair, equitable, and leaves no one behind.”
With the fossil fuel roadmap missing from the final draft, the stage is set for an intense closing session. The plenary will determine whether COP30 concludes with unity — or with sparks flying over the world’s unresolved dependence on coal, oil, and gas.
For now, the draft signals meaningful progress on adaptation, finance, and implementation — but leaves the battle over fossil fuels for another day.
