UN climate talks fail to secure new fossil fuel promises

Following bitter rows, the UN climate summit COP30 in Belém, Brazil has ended with a deal that contains no direct reference to the fossil fuels that are heating up the planet.

It is a frustrating end for more than 80 countries including the UK and EU that wanted the meeting to commit the world to stop using using oil, coal and gas at a faster pace.

But oil-producing nations held the line that they should be allowed to use their fossil fuel resources to grow their economies.

The meeting takes place as the UN says it fears global efforts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels have failed.

A representative for Colombia furiously criticised the COP presidency for not allowing countries to object to the deal in the final meeting on Saturday, known as a plenary.

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro said he "does not accept" the agreement.

The final deal, called the Mutirão, calls on countries to "voluntarily" accelerate their climate action.

For the first time, the US did not send a delegation after President Donald Trump said the country will leave the landmark Paris treaty that committed countries to act on climate change in 2015. He has branded climate change "a con".

Veteran negotiator and former Germany climate envoy Jennifer Morgan told the BBC that the US absence was a "hole" in the negotiations. Often the US has supported blocs like the EU and UK.

"In a 12-hour negotiation overnight, when you have oil-producing countries pushing back hard, to not have someone counteracting on that, it certainly was hard," she said

But for many countries, the fact that the talks did not collapse or roll back on past climate agreements is a relief.

Antigua and Barbuda Climate Ambassador Ruleta Thomas commented: "We are happy that there is a process that continues to function [...] where every country can be heard."

UNFCCC