Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticized the final COP30 declaration in Brazil for failing to explicitly name fossil fuels as the cause of the climate crisis. Nearly 200 nations agreed on efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 °C, but the text avoided direct references to energy transitions. Petro called the deal hypocritical on his X account.
The COP30 climate summit, held on the edge of the Amazon in Brazil, ended on Saturday with a provisional agreement among nearly 200 countries. This eight-page document aims to guide transitions to cleaner economies to counter global warming, though it avoids directly referencing fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal. The decision, dubbed Mutirão Global, addresses the gap between current pledges and what's needed to keep temperature rise below 1.5 °C from pre-industrial levels, as per the 2015 Paris Agreement.
A coalition of about 80 countries and the European Union pushed for a clearer roadmap to phase out these resources but met resistance from major producers in the Middle East and Russia. Friday's proposal was deemed too weak, leading to a reluctant compromise. COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago announced two separate initiatives: one for a just transition away from fossils and another on deforestation, both science-based and inclusive.
From Colombia, Petro voiced his dissent: "No acepto que en la declaración de la COP 30 no se diga con claridad, como dice la ciencia, que la causa de la crisis climática son los combustibles fósiles que usa el capital. Si no se dice eso, todo lo demás es hipocresía". On X, he added: "Solo es posible la vida en el planeta si nos separamos del petróleo, el carbón y el gas natural; Colombia se opone a una declaración que no diga la verdad científica". Experts like Harjeet Singh from the Satat Sampada Climate Foundation agreed that silence on fossils falls short.
The deal also calls to triple adaptation funding to US$120 billion by 2035 compared to 2025 levels and criticizes unilateral trade measures like the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. It further sets a dialogue for 2028 on trade's climate impact.