The presidency of COP30 released this Friday (21) a new draft of the final conference decision. The text withdrew the proposal to create a transition plan for phasing out the use of fossil fuelswhich had been defended by around 80 countries, according to the Brazilian government.
The removal of the topic generated discomfort among countries that supported the plan. Representatives of these countries claim that the new text, which simply mentions the need for “a low-carbon economy”, reduces climate ambition and can affect the progress of negotiations in other areasas.
Diplomats indicate that countries favorable to the roadmap they must harden their positions in parallel discussions.
The decision to exclude the commitment came after criticism from heavily dependent nations of oil, gas and coal exploration. These countries argued that the previous proposal put excessive pressure about their economies and called for a transition that they considered disproportionate.
Reviews
A new version of the text it also received criticism from subnational organizations. Mark Watts, executive director of the C40 Cities network, stated that the most recent draft of the so-called Belém Political Package demonstrates lack of ambition in central areas of the climate agenda.
According to Watts, “the texts suggest that several parties are trying to leave the global effort in ashes.” He claims that not enough advancement in fossil fuelsjust transition and multilevel cooperation. For him, “it is still possible to correct the course”, as long as the COP adopts the Brazilian vision of a conference focused on implementation.
Topics still open
In addition to the dispute over fossil fuels, there are no consensus on issues such as climate finance and the rules for dealing with unilateral trade measures, known as “green protectionism”. These points are considered essential for the conference to move towards a balanced agreement between developed and developing countries.
