COP30 in Belem Sees Activists Demand Fossil Fuel Phaseout Amid Uneven Global Support
Activists staged a 'death of fossil fuels' protest on the sidelines of COP30 in Belem, Brazil, highlighting calls for a transition away from fossil fuels. However, the formal COP30 agenda does not include a dedicated item on phasing out fossil fuels; related discussions are expected to take place mainly within the action agenda and parallel sessions.
The movement to phase out fossil fuels builds on the COP28 global stocktake pledge from 2023 in Dubai, which called for a transition away from fossil fuels (paragraph 28). This pledge remains contentious and has yet to be implemented.
Support for establishing a roadmap or process towards this transition at COP30 is divided, with roughly 60 countries in favor and about 40 opposed. Backers include the UK, many EU states, Colombia, Chile, and Kenya, with Nigeria showing interest. Colombia is leading a proposed declaration, and more than a dozen nations have signed the fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty. Some advocates support a nonbinding roadmap rather than immediate binding commitments.
Brazil’s COP30 presidency stated there is insufficient support to place the fossil fuel transition on the formal agenda, noting that discussions on this matter at COP29 were effectively abandoned. Nevertheless, if enough countries support the initiative, COP30 could establish a forum for ongoing talks spanning COP31 and COP32, aiming to develop a phased roadmap over several years rather than immediate binding commitments.
