Belém: Negotiations at the Cop30 climate summit in Belém stretched into overtime on Saturday after the European Union objected to the proposed final deal, saying the text lacked clear commitments to move away from fossil fuels. The summit was scheduled to close on Friday, but differences between major negotiating blocs forced talks to continue late into the night.

Delegates from more than 190 countries struggled to reach agreement on key issues, especially the wording around the future of coal, oil and gas. Many nations, including members of the European Union and several climate vulnerable countries, pushed for explicit language calling for a phaseout of fossil fuels. However, the draft text did not include this demand, leading to strong criticism.

Despite the tensions, countries eventually agreed on a broad deal that focuses heavily on climate finance. The agreement calls on richer nations to increase funding for adaptation measures in developing countries and sets a goal of tripling adaptation finance by 2035. This is meant to help poorer countries cope with worsening climate impacts such as rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall and coastal flooding.

While the deal was accepted, several delegations expressed disappointment. Climate advocacy groups and small island nations said the outcome fell short of expectations, noting that the world is running out of time to limit dangerous global warming. Some negotiators also voiced concern that key indicators in the agreement remain unclear and difficult to measure.

The European Union later confirmed that it would not block the final text, even though it believed the deal lacked ambition. A brief disruption occurred during the summit when a small fire at the venue delayed some of the discussions, but talks resumed once safety checks were completed.

As the summit closed, Brazil’s leadership urged countries to see the agreement as a foundation for stronger action in the years ahead. However, the absence of a commitment to phasing out fossil fuels is expected to remain a major point of debate leading into next year’s climate meetings.