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While dawn was breaking the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, delegates remained stuck in a enclosed conference room, uncertain whether it was day or night. Having spent 12 hours in difficult discussions, with numerous ministers representing multiple blocs of countries from the least developed nations to the most developed economies.

Patience wore thin, the air thick as sweaty delegates faced up to the harsh reality: they would not reach a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The 30th UN climate conference hovered near the brink of complete breakdown.

The major obstacle: Fossil fuels

Scientific evidence has shown for more than a century, the greenhouse gases produced by burning fossil fuels is warming our planet to dangerous levels.

Yet, during over three decades of annual climate meetings, the essential necessity to stop fossil fuel use has been referenced only once – in a agreement made two years ago at Cop28 to "transition away from fossil fuels". Representatives from the Middle Eastern nations, Russia, and several other countries were determined this would not be repeated.

Increasing pressure for change

Simultaneously, a expanding group of countries were similarly resolved that movement on this issue was urgently necessary. They had created a proposal that was gathering increasing support and made it evident they were ready to stand their ground.

Emerging economies desperately wanted to make progress on securing funding support to help them address the growing impacts of climate disasters.

Breaking point

In the pre-dawn period of Saturday, some delegates were prepared to leave and force a collapse. "It was on the edge for us," stated one government representative. "I was prepared to walk away."

The breakthrough came through talks with Saudi Arabia. Near 6am, key negotiators split from the main group to hold a closed-door meeting with the head Saudi negotiator. They urged wording that would indirectly acknowledge the global commitment to "move beyond fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Unanticipated resolution

As opposed to explicitly mentioning fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the UAE consensus". Following reflection, the Saudi delegation unexpectedly agreed to the wording.

Participants expressed relief. Cheers erupted. The deal was completed.

With what became known as the "Belém political package", the world took an incremental move towards the systematic reduction of fossil fuels – a hesitant, inadequate step that will scarcely affect the climate's continued progression towards crisis. But nevertheless a important shift from complete stagnation.

Key elements of the agreement

• Alongside the subtle acknowledgment in the official document, countries will begin work a plan to phase out fossil fuels
• This will be mostly a non-binding program led by Brazil that will provide updates next year
• Addressing the necessary cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to stay within the 1.5C limit was similarly postponed to next year
• Developing countries obtained a significant expansion to $120bn of yearly funding to help them cope with the impacts of climate disasters
• This funding will not be delivered in full until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "just transition mechanism" to help people working in fossil fuel sectors shift to the sustainable sector

Differing opinions

As the world approaches the brink of climate "critical thresholds" that could devastate environments and throw whole regions into crisis, the agreement was insufficient as the "significant advancement" needed.

"The summit provided some small advances in the right direction, but given the scale of the climate crisis, it has not met the occasion," cautioned one climate expert.

This imperfect deal might have been all that was possible, given the political challenges – including a US president who ignored the talks and remains aligned with oil and coal, the growing influence of nationalist politics, ongoing conflicts in various areas, intolerable levels of inequality, and global economic instability.

"Fossil fuel corporations – the oil and gas companies – were finally in the crosshairs at the climate summit," notes one climate activist. "This represents progress on that. The political space is available. Now we must transform it into a actual pathway to a protected environment."

Major disagreements revealed

Even as nations were able to celebrate the official adoption of the deal, Cop30 also exposed significant divisions in the primary worldwide framework for tackling the climate crisis.

"UN negotiations are consensus-based, and in a period of geopolitical divides, consensus is increasingly difficult to reach," commented one senior UN official. "We should not suggest that this summit has delivered everything that is needed. The gap between our current position and what science demands remains concerningly substantial."

Should the world is to prevent the most severe impacts of climate collapse, the UN climate talks alone will fall far short.