Contentious Climate Deal: Transitioning Without a Fossil Fuel Phase-Out

Negotiators at the UN climate talks are finalizing a deal lacking a fossil fuel phase-out plan. Brazilian leaders propose a separate road map. Though considered weak, the deal recognizes progress. Financial aid and trade issues remain focal points as negotiations conclude in Belem, Brazil.

Negotiators at the United Nations climate talks are nearing a decisive moment, as they prepare to finalize a newly released deal that notably omits a plan to phase out coal, oil, and gas, the main contributors to global warming.

While the document titled "Uniting humanity in a global mobilisation against climate change" lacks required guidelines for phasing out fossil fuels, Brazilian leadership has vowed to collaborate with Colombia to draft an independent road map, bypassing the need for unanimous approval from the 190 nations involved.

The conference, held in Belem, Brazil, aims for swift consensus, yet faces potential last-minute opposition. Key issues include distributing USD 300 billion in annual aid to vulnerable nations and tackling climate trade barriers, as leaders finalize their commitments in a city on the Amazon's edge.

(With inputs from agencies.)