The 12th day of COP30 in Belém ended without consensus, as the new draft of the final decision removed mentions of a roadmap to end fossil fuels and the plan to zero deforestation. About 30 nations threaten to block the agreement, extending talks over the weekend. Tensions rose after a pavilion fire and CAN's satirical awards.
COP30, hosted in Belém since November 10, 2025, faced a central impasse on November 21, originally set as the last day. The draft presented by the Brazilian presidency excluded any reference to a 'roadmap' for transitioning away from fossil fuels and the commitment to zero deforestation, yielding to pressures from oil producers like Saudi Arabia.
About 30 countries, mostly Latin American, European, and small island nations, reacted immediately, threatening to veto the final text without reinstating the issue. As COP decisions require unanimity, talks must extend over the weekend, risking the conference ending without agreement. Brazil's strategy to separate technical and political debates failed to prevent divisions.
Tensions worsened after a fire in the main pavilion on Thursday (20), halting negotiations for six hours at a critical moment. The blaze destroyed part of the structure in the blue zone, official negotiation area, and heightened strain between the negotiating team and the Casa Civil, already strained by infrastructure, logistics, and security failures. The UN sent a letter demanding improvements.
The CAN NGO network announced satirical awards: the Colossal Fossil to Saudi Arabia and the European Union, accused of obstructing progress by removing scientific references and weakening human protections; Russia won the Fossil of the Day for systematic obstruction; and Colombia received the Ray of the COP for leadership on the anti-fossil agenda.
Despite issues, organizers noted control mechanisms are working, as in the Federal Police operation against clandestine security firms.
