Brazil Climate summit debates the end of oil, gas and coal
The world climate conference has gone into extra time due to a fierce dispute over a roadmap for moving away from oil, gas and coal.
22.11.2025, 04:25
SDA
Germany and a broad alliance of other countries are calling for more ambition in climate protection, while poorer countries are calling for more money to adapt to global warming.
Whether large-scale meetings or intensive discussions in small groups - nothing brought a breakthrough at the meeting of around 200 states in Belém, Brazil. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that people around the world were watching. "They have heard enough excuses. They demand results."
The two-week consultations should have officially ended at 18:00 local time (22:00 CET) on Friday. In previous years, however, the meetings were always extended by hours or even days.
The Brazilian President of the World Climate Conference, André Corrêa do Lago, emphasized that it was not a question of winning or losing, but of reaching a consensus between almost all countries in the world, which has value in itself. "The world is watching us," he said. If no agreement could be reached, this would play into the hands of the opponents of multilateralism, i.e. international cooperation. In this context, he specifically mentioned the USA, which had stayed away from the conference.
An incendiary letter and tough messages
Germany and dozens of other countries had started the final phase of the climate summit with tough announcements and an incendiary letter. According to the letter to the Brazilian conference leaders, which was supported by the German government, a clear roadmap is needed to turn away from the climate-damaging burning of oil, gas and coal. "We cannot support an outcome that does not include a roadmap for an orderly and just transition away from fossil fuels."
A draft text for possible resolutions published by the Brazilian presidency on Friday morning caused a great deal of resentment. Germany, the EU and others announced that they would not accept the paper under any circumstances. Hours before the conference was extended, Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider emphasized that "tough negotiations" were still to be expected.
Oxfam expert Jan Kowalzig said that India and China had to be convinced of the idea of a plan to phase out fossil fuels, known as the COP30 roadmap. It was also necessary to isolate rich oil states such as Saudi Arabia "so that they can no longer stand in the way". They have blocking power because unanimous decisions are required.
What drives poorer states
Poorer countries and emerging economies point to the responsibility of industrialized countries as the main cause of the current global warming. They fear that too much speed in climate protection will impair their chances of economic development. Oil-producing countries, on the other hand, want to safeguard their business model.
Developing countries are demanding, among other things, that industrialized countries significantly increase their state climate aid to adapt to the consequences of global warming. One proposal is to triple this to at least 120 billion US dollars (currently 104 billion euros) per year by 2030. The consequences include more severe and more frequent storms, droughts, forest fires and floods.
Huge financial requirements to adapt to climate change
Over the past 30 years, developing countries have been hit the hardest by extreme weather events such as heatwaves, storms and flooding. This is shown by the Climate Risk Index 2026 published by the environment and development organization Germanwatch.
There is a huge need to adapt to the climate crisis as best we can. The new UN report on the "adaptation gap" shows that developing countries will need at least 310 billion US dollars annually by 2035 - twelve times the current level of international public funding.
Time is of the essence
Time is now running out in Belém, as many delegates have flights home at the weekend and have to leave their accommodation. Cruise ships, which were used as additional sleeping accommodation in Belém, should also leave the city in the Amazon region.
According to experts, an agreement in Brazil is urgently needed in view of the escalating climate crisis. Burning oil, gas and coal produces the most climate-damaging greenhouse gases, causing the planet to heat up more and more. The ten warmest years since records began were the last ten. Scientists now assume that the 1.5-degree limit set out in the Paris Climate Agreement will be temporarily exceeded by the beginning of the 2030s at the latest.
