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When dawn was breaking the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, delegates remained stuck in a windowless conference room, unaware whether it was day or night. They had been 12 hours in difficult discussions, with numerous ministers representing 17 groups of countries ranging from the poorest nations to the wealthiest economies.

Tempers were short, the air heavy as exhausted delegates acknowledged the harsh reality: there would not be a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The international climate negotiations hovered near the brink of total collapse.

The central impasse: Fossil fuels

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

Nevertheless, during nearly three decades of yearly climate meetings, the urgent need to halt fossil fuel use has been referenced only once – in a decision made two years ago at Cop28 to "move beyond fossil fuels". Officials from the Gulf states, Russia, and multiple other countries were determined this would not be repeated.

Growing momentum for change

Meanwhile, a increasing coalition of countries were equally determined that advancement on this issue was crucially important. They had formulated a proposal that was gathering increasing support and made it clear they were prepared to stand their ground.

Less wealthy nations desperately wanted to move forward on securing funding support to help them manage the growing impacts of extreme weather.

Breaking point

In the pre-dawn period of Saturday, some delegates were prepared to withdraw and cause breakdown. "We were close for us," remarked one energy minister. "I considered to walk away."

The breakthrough happened through discussions with Saudi Arabia. Near 6am, principal delegates split from the main group to hold a closed-door meeting with the head Saudi negotiator. They urged language that would subtly reference the global commitment to "transition away from fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Unanticipated resolution

Rather than explicitly namechecking fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the Dubai agreement". Upon deliberation, the Saudi delegation unexpectedly accepted the wording.

Delegates showed visible relief. Applause rang out. The deal was completed.

With what became known as the "Amazon accord", the world took another small step towards the phaseout of fossil fuels – a faltering, limited step that will scarcely affect the climate's steady march towards crisis. But nevertheless a significant departure from complete stagnation.

Important aspects of the agreement

• Alongside the oblique commitment in the legally agreed text, countries will begin work a framework to gradually eliminate fossil fuels
• This will be mostly a voluntary initiative led by Brazil that will report back next year
• Addressing the necessary cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to remain below the 1.5C limit was likewise deferred to next year
• Developing countries obtained a significant expansion to $120bn of regular financial support to help them cope with the impacts of climate disasters
• This sum will not be fully available until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "just transition mechanism" to help people working in polluting businesses transition to the clean economy

Varied responses

While our planet approaches the brink of climate "irreversible changes" that could destroy ecosystems and plunge whole regions into crisis, the agreement was insufficient as the "major breakthrough" needed.

"The summit provided some baby steps in the correct path, but in light of the scale of the climate crisis, it has not met the occasion," stated one environmental analyst.

This imperfect deal might have been the maximum achievable, given the political challenges – including a US president who shunned the talks and remains aligned with oil and coal, the rising tide of nationalist politics, ongoing conflicts in multiple regions, extreme measures of inequality, and global economic uncertainty.

"Fossil fuel corporations – the fossil fuel giants – were at last in the focus at Cop30," comments one climate activist. "We have crossed a threshold on that. The opportunity is available. Now we must transform it into a genuine solution to a more secure planet."

Significant divisions revealed

Although nations were able to applaud the gavelling through of the deal, Cop30 also highlighted deep fissures in the only global process for confronting the climate crisis.

"UN negotiations are agreement-dependent, and in a period of global disagreements, unanimity is ever harder to reach," commented one international diplomat. "It would be dishonest to claim that this summit has delivered everything that is needed. The gap between present circumstances and what science demands remains alarmingly large."

If the world is to prevent the gravest consequences of climate crisis, the international negotiations alone will prove insufficient.