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When dawn illuminated the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, negotiators remained confined in a windowless conference room, unaware whether it was day or night. For more than 12 hours in tense discussions, with numerous ministers representing multiple blocs of countries including the least developed nations to the most developed economies.

Tempers were short, the air heavy as weary delegates confronted the harsh reality: they were unlikely to achieve a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The international climate negotiations hovered near the brink of complete breakdown.

The central impasse: Fossil fuels

As science has told us for nearly a century, the carbon dioxide produced by consuming fossil fuels is warming our planet to alarming levels.

However, during nearly three decades of yearly climate meetings, the urgent need to stop fossil fuel use has been mentioned only once – in a decision made two years ago at previous UN climate talks to "shift from fossil fuels". Officials from the Gulf states, Russia, and several other countries were determined this would not occur another time.

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 initiative that was gathering increasing support and made it evident they were willing to hold firm.

Less wealthy nations desperately wanted to make progress on securing financial assistance to help them address the increasingly severe impacts of climate disasters.

Critical moment

By the early hours of Saturday, some delegates were willing to walk out and force a collapse. "The situation was precarious for us," remarked one national delegate. "I was prepared to walk away."

The pivotal moment occurred through talks with Saudi Arabia. Shortly after 6am, key negotiators split from the main group to hold a private conversation with the chief Saudi negotiator. They encouraged wording that would indirectly acknowledge the global commitment to "shift from fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Unanticipated resolution

Instead of explicitly namechecking fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the UAE consensus". After consideration, the Saudi delegation surprisingly accepted the wording.

Participants collapsed into relief. Applause rang out. The deal was done.

With what became known as the "Amazon accord", the world took an incremental move towards the phaseout of fossil fuels – a faltering, limited step that will minimally impact the climate's continued progression towards crisis. But nevertheless a significant departure from total inaction.

Important aspects of the agreement

• Alongside the indirect reference in the official document, countries will commence creating a roadmap to systematically reduce fossil fuels
• This will be largely a non-binding program led by Brazil that will deliver findings next year
• Addressing the required reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to stay within the 1.5C limit was similarly postponed to next year
• Developing countries secured a tripling to $120bn of regular financial support to help them adapt to the impacts of environmental crises
• This amount will not be fully available until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "fair adjustment program" to help people working in fossil fuel sectors transition to the clean economy

Varied responses

While our planet approaches the brink of climate "irreversible changes" that could eliminate habitats and throw whole regions into crisis, the agreement was far from the "major breakthrough" needed.

"Cop30 gave us some small advances in the proper course, but in light of the magnitude of the climate crisis, it has not met the occasion," cautioned one climate expert.

This limited deal might have been all that was possible, given the political challenges – including a US president who shunned the talks and remains aligned with oil and coal, the growing influence of nationalist politics, ongoing conflicts in different locations, extreme measures of inequality, and global economic uncertainty.

"Major polluters – the oil and gas companies – were finally in the focus at Cop30," notes one climate activist. "This represents progress on that. The opportunity is available. Now we must transform it into a actual pathway to a protected environment."

Major disagreements revealed

While nations were able to celebrate the gavelling through of the deal, Cop30 also revealed major disagreements in the primary worldwide framework for confronting the climate crisis.

"Climate conferences are unanimity-required, and in a era of global disagreements, consensus is ever harder 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 research requires remains alarmingly large."

When the world is to avoid the gravest consequences of climate collapse, the global discussions alone will prove insufficient.