30-plus nations oppose COP30 draft over fossil fuel omission: Colombia

Indigenous people hold signs reading “The answer is us” and “End of fossil fuels, no mining in our territories” during a march on the sidelines of the COP30 UN Climate Change Conference in Belem, Brazil – Copyright AFP/File Mauro PIMENTEL

More than 30 countries have co-signed a letter opposing Brazil’s draft proposal at the UN climate conference because it fails to include a roadmap phasing out fossil fuels, the Colombian delegation told AFP on Thursday.

COP30 is scheduled to end Friday evening, after a dramatic blaze at the venue in Belem brought a premature close to Thursday’s proceedings.

The summit’s leader, Brazilian diplomat Andre Correa do Lago, is under pressure from the nearly 200 countries gathered in the Amazonian city since last week to forge a text capable of achieving consensus, as required under the summit’s rules.

His latest draft, seen Thursday by AFP, makes no mention of fossil fuels — despite President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva having championed the idea as a signature initiative since the summit began.

“We cannot support an outcome that does not include a roadmap for implementing a just, orderly, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels,” said the letter provided to AFP — with signatories from Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Pacific island nations.

France and Belgium confirmed their signatures.

“We must be honest: in its present form, the proposal does not meet the minimum conditions required for a credible COP outcome,” they letter said.

Momentum for phasing out oil, coal, and gas, which are largely responsible for global warming, re-emerged forcefully in Belem at a moment when the issue appeared all but dormant.

But according to a negotiator who wished to remain anonymous, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Russia rejected it outright.