At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, world leaders announced ambitious commitments to expand renewable energy, accelerate industrial decarbonisation, and strengthen global energy-efficiency measures. New financial tools — including a proposed “Green Swap” mechanism — were introduced to channel more investment into clean energy and climate adaptation, particularly for developing nations. Countries also backed increased support for sustainable fuels and green technologies to cut emissions in hard-to-abate sectors.
Yet despite this momentum, the summit failed to deliver progress on the most urgent issue: ending fossil-fuel dependence. A coalition of more than 80 countries pushed for a clear roadmap to phase out coal, oil, and gas, but strong resistance from major producers led to all direct references to fossil-fuel phase-out being removed from the final agreement. No binding timelines were adopted, leaving a significant gap between global climate targets and current political ambition — a setback scientists warn threatens the goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C. More