“There is a feeling among civil society organizations, particularly in the environmental sector, that expectations are often not met,” stated Alexandra Azevedo, the president of Quercus, to Lusa.
In a statement, the Portuguese environmental association highlighted the approval of the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM) for a Just Transition, which they describe as “a clear advance reflecting the concept of climate justice and intense pressure from civil society” at the COP30 United Nations climate conference.
On a less positive note, the leader pointed out the “most glaring” omission regarding the roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels. This proposal, presented by Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, at the leaders’ summit, was removed from the final text.
According to the association, “this would effectively be the direction to follow according to scientific stipulations,” but COP30 only produced a parallel initiative proposed by Colombia.
“Colombia went further in declaring that new oil explorations in the Colombian Amazon would not be permitted,” Quercus recalled.
The association noted that financing for adaptation to Climate Change fell short of expectations, as the goal to triple funding from 40 to 120 billion euros was pushed to the period from 2035 instead of between 2026 and 2029, as previously agreed in Glasgow.
Quercus also criticized the “lack of ambition in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs),” viewing it as a “clear signal that the largest emitters remain unwilling to take the lead in acting swiftly.”
Countries gathered at COP30 in Belém do Pará, Brazil, approved today the final draft agreement, which fails to mention fossil energies and calls for tripling climate adaptation funding for developing countries.
The newly published text reveals that the final agreement draft among around 200 countries at the UN climate conference in Brazil lacks any explicit reference to fossil fuels, despite the requests of many states, including European countries.
The document, awaiting consensus approval at today’s closing session in Belém, calls for tripling climate adaptation funding for developing countries over the next decade.
