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When dawn illuminated the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, delegates remained stuck in a airless conference room, uncertain whether it was day or night. They had been 12 hours in strained discussions, with dozens ministers representing multiple blocs of countries including the least developed nations to the most developed economies.

Frustration mounted, the air stifling as exhausted delegates acknowledged the grim reality: they were unlikely to achieve a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The 30th UN climate conference teetered on the brink of complete breakdown.

The sticking point: Fossil fuels

As science has told us for well over a century, the greenhouse gases produced by utilizing fossil fuels is increasing temperatures on our planet to dangerous levels.

Yet, during nearly three decades of regular climate meetings, the urgent need to cease fossil fuel use has been mentioned only once – in a resolution made two years ago at the Dubai climate summit to "shift from fossil fuels". Representatives from the Gulf states, Russia, and multiple other countries were determined this would not happen again.

Mounting support for change

At the same time, a growing number of countries were similarly resolved that advancement on this issue was crucially important. They had developed a initiative that was gathering expanding support and made it clear they were prepared to stand their ground.

Developing countries urgently needed to make progress on securing financial assistance to help them cope with the growing impacts of climate disasters.

Breaking point

By the early hours of Saturday, some delegates were ready to withdraw and cause breakdown. "The situation was precarious for us," remarked one energy minister. "I considered to walk away."

The pivotal moment came through discussions with Saudi Arabia. Shortly after 6am, key negotiators left the main group to hold a private conversation with the chief Saudi negotiator. They pressed language that would indirectly acknowledge the global commitment to "move beyond fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Unanticipated resolution

As opposed to explicitly mentioning fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the previous commitment". After consideration, the Saudi delegation unforeseeably agreed to the wording.

Participants showed visible relief. Celebrations began. The deal was finalized.

With what became known as the "Brazil agreement", the world took another small step towards the systematic reduction of fossil fuels – a uncertain, limited step that will scarcely affect the climate's ongoing trajectory towards crisis. But nevertheless a important shift from total inaction.

Major components of the agreement

• Alongside the oblique commitment in the legally agreed text, countries will begin work a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels
• This will be primarily a voluntary initiative 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 secured a tripling to $120bn of yearly funding to help them adapt to the impacts of extreme weather
• This sum will not be completely provided until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "just transition mechanism" to help people working in polluting businesses transition to the clean economy

Varied responses

As the world approaches the brink of climate "critical thresholds" that could devastate environments and force whole regions into crisis, the agreement was far from the "major breakthrough" needed.

"Cop30 gave us some baby steps in the correct path, but given the scale of the climate crisis, it has not met the occasion," cautioned one policy director.

This limited deal might have been the best attainable, given the international tensions – including a US president who avoided the talks and remains wedded to oil and coal, the rising tide of nationalist politics, ongoing conflicts in multiple regions, intolerable levels of inequality, and global economic uncertainty.

"Fossil fuel corporations – the energy conglomerates – were finally in the crosshairs at Cop30," says one environmental advocate. "This represents progress on that. The opportunity is accessible. Now we must turn it into a actual pathway to a protected environment."

Significant divisions revealed

Even as nations were able to applaud the formal approval of the deal, Cop30 also highlighted major disagreements in the only global process for addressing the climate crisis.

"International summits are unanimity-required, and in a era of geopolitical divides, consensus is increasingly difficult to reach," observed one senior UN official. "I cannot pretend that these talks has delivered everything that is needed. The disparity between where we are and what evidence necessitates remains dangerously wide."

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