Day 11 of Cop30 - recapped
That’s about it for our live coverage of the so-called final day of the Cop30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil.
We say “so-called” because there is still no final agreement. It looks like we’re heading for at least one extra day of talks.
Here’s a quick recap on what happened today.
Countries appear to be still far apart on any agreement to draw up a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels. As the clock approached 11pm in Belem, talks were ongoing.
Negotiating texts released early on Friday in Belem did not include the roadmap concept.
The UK energy secretary Ed Miliband said a deal to create a roadmap away from fossil fuels needed to happen “one way or another” – even if it was a voluntary process.
One representative from a country vulnerable to the climate crisis said: “Sometimes it’s like we are arguing with robots.”
Observers claimed the Arab group of nations had warned any mention of phasing out fossil fuels in final negotiations would see the talks collapse.
The architect of the Paris climate deal, Laurence Tubiana, said countries should not fear pursuing a deal on a roadmap.
Turkey and Australia has agreed to the details on hosting next year’s Cop31 summit, that will be held in Turkey. Turkey will take on the Cop31 presidency and an Australian – energy minister Chris Bowen – will be appointed vice-president and “president of negotiations”
Africa was still pushing for a tripling of the finance available from rich countries to help the poor world adapt to the impacts of the climate crisis.
Thanks a lot for staying with us. The climate summit in Belem is on a knife edge.
Join us again tomorrow, Belem time, as we follow what could be the actual final day.
In the meantime, you can follow all our coverage from Cop30 here.
Updated
Paris deal architect says don’t fear fossil fuel exit roadmap
Countries should not fear drawing up a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels, one of the architects of the Paris agreement has declared, because they will be able to set their own path, according to their own national circumstances.
Laurence Tubiana, chief executive of the European Climate Foundation, who has served as one of the special envoys appointed by Brazil for Cop30, told the Guardian that all of the important decisions would be for national governments to make, and they would not be coerced into any measures. She told the Guardian:
We want more renewable energy and less fossil fuel, but every country has to imagine for itself what policies they want, what role they have to play, and what ambition they have.
Countries demanding more finance from developed countries to help them adapt to the impacts of the climate crisis – a major concern for developing nations, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable, at the Cop30 talks – should be particularly in favour of a phase out, because the sooner the world shifts away from fossil fuels, the less adaptation they will require, she added.
It is just impossible to try to say, we want adaptation finance, but we don’t want a transition away from fossil fuels. Clearly, if you want adaptation, you should support the phase out.
She warned countries must also be prepared to rethink their national climate plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), given that the current crop are inadequate to limit global temperatures to 1.5C, the goal set out in the Paris agreement.
Some countries at the Cop30 talks, now in their final stages, have argued that discussions of the NDCs should be put off for three years, as technically the Paris agreement does not require them to be reviewed until then. Tubiana dismissed this argument. She asked:
What is the point of meeting for a Cop if you do not want to think about NDCs?
What is the point of the Paris agreement if you don’t address this? They are being irrational.
It was easier than ever for countries to make the shift to a low-carbon economy, she added, as in the decade since the Paris agreement was signed, the costs of renewable energy and clean technology had plummeted.
“Why invest in oil and gas now?” she asked.
