It took an extra day, but delegates at COP30, the United Nations’ climate conference, have reached a deal on a final agreement. The agreement, however, falls far short of the high expectations many delegates, environmental groups and non-governmental organizations had going into the annual conference in Brazil. Despite more than 80 countries calling for a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels worldwide, the primary cause of human-amplified climate change, that demand did not make it into the final text. Although the conference took place in what’s called the “gateway to the Amazon,” the COP30 agreement also doesn’t include any significant new initiatives to stop deforestation and protect the Amazon rainforest, known as “the lungs of the planet.” Appearing to acknowledge the disappointment of some delegates and environmental and climate groups that the final agreement didn’t include the roadmaps on deforestation and fossil fuels, COP30 President said during his remarks during the closing plenary that he would use his authority as the COP30 president to create the roadmaps himself. Next year’s COP31 will be held in Antalya, Turkey, with Australia leading the negotiations. This rare splitting of responsibilities was part of an agreement to end a standoff between Turkey and Australia over who would host the event.
