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As dawn was breaking the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, delegates remained confined in a airless conference room, oblivious whether it was day or night. For more than 12 hours in difficult discussions, with dozens ministers representing multiple blocs of countries from the most vulnerable nations to the most developed economies.

Patience wore thin, the air heavy as exhausted delegates confronted the sobering reality: they were unlikely to achieve a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The international climate negotiations teetered on the brink of complete breakdown.

The sticking point: Fossil fuels

Research has demonstrated for nearly a century, the greenhouse gases produced by utilizing fossil fuels is warming our planet to critical levels.

Nevertheless, during over three decades of annual climate meetings, the essential necessity to halt fossil fuel use has been mentioned only once – in a resolution made two years ago at Cop28 to "transition away from fossil fuels". Delegates from the Gulf states, Russia, and multiple other countries were resolved this would not happen again.

Mounting support for change

Simultaneously, a increasing coalition of countries were equally determined that movement on this issue was crucially important. They had formulated a plan that was attracting increasing support and made it apparent they were ready to hold firm.

Emerging economies strongly sought to advance on securing financial assistance to help them cope with the already disastrous impacts of extreme weather.

Critical moment

During the night of Saturday, some delegates were prepared to walk out and cause breakdown. "It was on the edge for us," stated one government representative. "I was prepared to walk away."

The critical development came through negotiations with Saudi Arabia. Around 6am, principal delegates left the main group to hold a private conversation 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.

Surprising consensus

As opposed to explicitly namechecking fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the Dubai agreement". Upon deliberation, the Saudi delegation unforeseeably accepted the wording.

The room collapsed into relief. Applause rang out. The deal was finalized.

With what became known as the "Brazil agreement", the world took an incremental move towards the phaseout of fossil fuels – a hesitant, limited step that will scarcely affect the climate's continued progression towards crisis. But nevertheless a important shift from complete stagnation.

Important aspects of the agreement

• Complementing the oblique commitment in the official document, countries will commence creating a framework to systematically reduce fossil fuels
• This will be primarily a non-binding program led by Brazil that will deliver findings next year
• Addressing the required reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to remain below the 1.5C limit was similarly postponed to next year
• Developing countries secured a threefold increase to $120bn of annual finance to help them adapt to the impacts of extreme weather
• This amount will not be delivered in full until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "just transition mechanism" to help people working in fossil fuel sectors transition to the sustainable sector

Differing opinions

As the world hovers near the brink of climate "tipping points" that could eliminate habitats and throw whole regions into crisis, the agreement was far from the "giant leap" needed.

"Cop30 gave us some small advances in the right direction, but given the scale of the climate crisis, it has failed to rise to the occasion," stated one policy director.

This imperfect deal might have been the maximum achievable, given the international tensions – including a US president who ignored the talks and remains committed to oil and coal, the increasing presence of rightwing populism, ongoing conflicts in different locations, unacceptable degrees of inequality, and global economic uncertainty.

"The climate arsonists – the fossil fuel giants – were at last in the spotlight at Cop30," says one climate activist. "We have crossed a threshold on that. The platform is open. Now we must transform it into a real fire escape to a protected environment."

Deep fissures revealed

Although nations were able to celebrate the gavelling through of the deal, Cop30 also revealed significant divisions in the only global process for tackling the climate crisis.

"Climate conferences are agreement-dependent, and in a era of international tensions, agreement is increasingly difficult to reach," stated one global leader. "It would be dishonest to claim that Cop30 has provided all that is needed. The disparity between where we are and what research requires remains dangerously wide."

When the world is to prevent the most severe impacts of climate crisis, the global discussions alone will not be nearly enough.