Brazil’s presidency of the COP30 climate summit has unveiled the first draft of a crucial decision text.
Dubbed the “Mutirão” decision, the draft presents very different options on key issues that have dominated negotiations in the humid Amazon city: the shift away from fossil fuels, climate finance and the handling of trade disputes.
On the crucial issue of fossil fuels, the text reveals a deep divide.
One option encourages countries to develop “road maps for a just, orderly and equitable transition,” but falls short of endorsing a global phase-out plan supported by more than 80 countries.
A weaker alternative simply invites countries to share “success stories” on the path to low-carbon solutions. Marshall Islands climate envoy Tina Stege called the current language “weak” and insisted it “needs to be strengthened.”
Financial negotiations are also divisive.
The plan includes a proposal to triple adaptation funding for developing countries to $120 billion a year by 2030, a key demand from vulnerable countries.
However, developed countries are moving backwards, with alternative options that only recognize the need to “significantly increase” funding without binding targets.
In a historic first for a UN climate text, trade also features prominently, reflecting China and India’s opposition to carbon border taxes.
Proposals range from establishing new dialogues to an annual UN summit on trade and climate.
As ministers arrive for final high-level negotiations, the choices are clear. “Countries can line up behind the stronger elements… or go in a weaker direction and water down what they got from Belém,” said David Waskow of the World Resources Institute.
The success of the entire “Belém political package” now depends on bridging these deep divisions before the conclusion of the conference.
