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While dawn was breaking the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, delegates remained stuck in a enclosed conference room, oblivious whether it was day or night. For more than 12 hours in difficult discussions, with numerous ministers representing multiple blocs of countries from the poorest nations to the wealthiest economies.

Frustration mounted, the air thick as weary delegates faced up to the grim reality: they would not reach a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The 30th UN climate conference hovered near the brink of total collapse.

The major obstacle: Fossil fuels

As science has told us for more than a century, the CO2 emissions produced by utilizing fossil fuels is warming our planet to alarming levels.

However, during more than three decades of annual climate meetings, the urgent need to cease fossil fuel use has been addressed only once – in a decision made two years ago at previous UN climate talks to "shift from fossil fuels". Officials from the Arab Group, Russia, and several other countries were adamant this would not happen again.

Mounting support for change

Meanwhile, a increasing coalition of countries were equally determined that advancement on this issue was urgently necessary. They had developed a plan that was earning increasing support and made it evident they were willing to dig in.

Emerging economies desperately wanted to make progress on securing financial assistance to help them cope with the increasingly severe impacts of climate disasters.

Breaking point

By the early hours of Saturday, some delegates were ready to leave and cause breakdown. "The situation was precarious for us," stated one government representative. "I considered to walk away."

The breakthrough occurred through discussions with Saudi Arabia. Around 6am, principal delegates split from the main group to hold a closed-door meeting with the chief Saudi negotiator. They pressed text that would obliquely recognise the global commitment to "shift from fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Unanticipated resolution

Rather than explicitly referencing fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the Dubai agreement". Following reflection, the Saudi delegation surprisingly agreed to the wording.

The room expressed relief. Cheers erupted. The agreement was finalized.

With what became known as the "Amazon accord", the world took another small step towards the gradual elimination of fossil fuels – a hesitant, insufficient step that will barely interrupt the climate's steady march towards disaster. But nevertheless a notable change from absolute paralysis.

Key elements of the agreement

• Alongside the oblique commitment in the legally agreed text, countries will commence creating a framework to gradually eliminate fossil fuels
• This will be mostly a non-binding program led by Brazil that will provide updates next year
• Addressing the required reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to remain below the 1.5C limit was also put off to next year
• Developing countries obtained a significant expansion to $120bn of regular financial support to help them adapt to the impacts of extreme weather
• This sum will not be delivered in full until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "just transition mechanism" to help people working in fossil fuel sectors shift to the sustainable sector

Mixed reactions

With global conditions approaches the brink of climate "tipping points" that could destroy ecosystems and plunge whole regions into disorder, the agreement was insufficient as the "significant advancement" needed.

"Cop30 gave us some small advances in the right direction, but considering the severity of the climate crisis, it has not met the occasion," cautioned one policy director.

This imperfect deal might have been the best attainable, given the political challenges – including a Washington administration who shunned the talks and remains wedded to oil and coal, the increasing presence of rightwing populism, continuing wars in different locations, intolerable levels of inequality, and global economic volatility.

"The climate arsonists – the fossil fuel giants – were at last in the crosshairs at Cop30," says one climate activist. "This represents progress on that. The political space is open. Now we must convert it to a actual pathway to a protected environment."

Significant divisions revealed

Even as nations were able to celebrate the formal approval of the deal, Cop30 also exposed major disagreements in the primary worldwide framework for addressing the climate crisis.

"International summits are unanimity-required, and in a time of geopolitical divides, agreement is increasingly difficult to reach," observed one international diplomat. "I cannot pretend that these talks has delivered everything that is needed. The disparity between where we are and what evidence necessitates remains alarmingly large."

If the world is to avert the gravest consequences of climate crisis, the UN climate talks alone will prove insufficient.