Cop30 climate summit fails to address fossil fuels despite scientific warnings, say critics

The 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) concluded in Brazil this week amid sharp criticism that the final agreement fails to adequately address the role of fossil fuels in driving global warming. Climate advocate Genevieve Guenther, founding director of End Climate Silence, called the summit “a failure” and described its outcome as “a form of climate denial.”

The conference’s final decision document, known as the “Global Mutirão” (Global Collective Effort), notably omits any direct mention of fossil fuels—a glaring oversight according to critics who point to scientific evidence about the urgent need to phase out oil, gas, and coal. This silence comes despite findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which determined in 2023 that the world has already developed or planned too much fossil fuel infrastructure to limit global warming to 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

Guenther suggests that oil-producing nations Russia and Saudi Arabia influenced the final text, effectively blocking stronger language on fossil fuel transitions. While UN climate chief Simon Stiell praised the conference for demonstrating that “climate cooperation is alive and kicking,” critics argue the agreement falls far short of what climate science demands.

However, there are signs of hope emerging from the summit. A coalition of nations led by Colombia and the Netherlands is reportedly working on alternative approaches to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels, potentially offering a path forward outside the compromised COP process. This development suggests that while the official summit may have disappointed, momentum for climate action continues to build among willing nations.