Colombian President Gustavo Petro voiced his position amid disagreements with Brazil in the final stages of COP30 in Brazil. While both nations acknowledge the urgency of addressing fossil fuels' future, their strategies diverge markedly. A fire disrupted sessions, complicating talks on decarbonization.
Negotiations at COP30 in Brazil hit an unexpected snag when a fire forced the suspension of activities, casting doubt on the final agreement. The central issue was the friction between Colombia and Brazil over the global shift away from fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and gas.
Petro stressed the essential need for rapid decarbonization. "The COPs have not served and must not become spectacles, but assemblies of the peoples of humanity," he stated. Following the release of a second draft agreement by the summit presidency, Colombia and 40 other countries deemed it inadequate, lacking a clear roadmap to phase out fossils, tackle deforestation, and secure climate funding.
On social media, Petro reflected: "It was very difficult for me in the final hours of COP30, and I believe I made the right decision for humanity and life, which is my political project for a new progressivism in the world." Brazil countered with a stark "take it or leave it," forcing ambitious nations to decide between endorsing a weak document or bearing the political cost of blocking consensus.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva advocated for a roadmap to end fossil fuel dependence, despite recently approving oil explorations near the Amazon. His aim is a broad agreement without rigid timelines, sparing discomfort for major producers like Saudi Arabia, India, or China. Colombia entered the summit with an ambitious proposal backed by 24 countries, viewing the current draft as a setback.
Petro framed the climate crisis as capitalism's greatest contradiction: "Either fossil capitalism survives and will take humanity to the grave, or there will be green capitalism, unlikely with Trump's election and his irrational stance on the climate crisis, or there will be a revolution of humanity against fossil capital."