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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. Having spent 12 hours in strained discussions, with scores ministers representing various coalitions of countries from the least developed nations to the wealthiest economies.

Patience wore thin, the air heavy as sweaty delegates acknowledged the sobering reality: there would not be a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The 30th UN climate conference hovered near the brink of abject failure.

The sticking point: Fossil fuels

As science has told us for nearly a century, the greenhouse gases produced by burning fossil fuels is warming our planet to alarming levels.

Nevertheless, during over three decades of yearly climate meetings, the crucial requirement to cease fossil fuel use has been mentioned only once – in a resolution made two years ago at the Dubai climate summit to "move beyond fossil fuels". Officials from the Arab Group, Russia, and a few other countries were determined this would not happen again.

Mounting support for change

At the same time, a expanding group of countries were similarly resolved that movement on this issue was crucially important. They had developed a proposal that was attracting expanding support and made it evident they were prepared to dig in.

Emerging economies desperately wanted to make progress on securing funding support to help them cope with the already disastrous impacts of environmental crises.

Critical moment

In the pre-dawn period of Saturday, some delegates were ready to leave and force a collapse. "The situation was precarious for us," commented one national delegate. "I was prepared to walk away."

The breakthrough occurred through discussions with Saudi Arabia. Around 6am, key negotiators separated from the main group to hold a confidential discussion with the head Saudi negotiator. They encouraged language that would subtly reference the global commitment to "transition away from fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Unanticipated resolution

Rather than explicitly mentioning fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the previous commitment". Following reflection, the Saudi delegation surprisingly approved the wording.

Delegates expressed relief. Applause rang out. The settlement was done.

With what became known as the "Amazon accord", the world took an incremental move towards the systematic reduction of fossil fuels – a faltering, inadequate step that will barely interrupt the climate's continued progression towards disaster. But nevertheless a important shift from complete stagnation.

Major components of the agreement

• Complementing the indirect reference in the legally agreed text, countries will begin work a plan to phase out fossil fuels
• This will be primarily 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 likewise deferred to next year
• Developing countries obtained a threefold increase to $120bn of yearly funding to help them adapt to the impacts of climate disasters
• This sum will not be completely provided until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "just transition mechanism" to help people working in high-carbon industries transition to the renewable industry

Varied responses

With global conditions hovers near the brink of climate "irreversible changes" that could destroy ecosystems and force whole regions into crisis, the agreement was insufficient as 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 failed to rise to the occasion," cautioned one policy director.

This limited deal might have been the maximum achievable, given the political challenges – including a Washington administration who ignored the talks and remains aligned with oil and coal, the increasing presence of conservative movements, ongoing conflicts in multiple regions, intolerable levels of inequality, and global economic uncertainty.

"Major polluters – the fossil fuel giants – were at last in the focus at Cop30," notes one climate activist. "We have crossed a threshold on that. The opportunity is accessible. Now we must convert it to a genuine solution to a safer world."

Major disagreements revealed

While nations were able to welcome the gavelling through of the deal, Cop30 also highlighted significant divisions in the only global process for addressing the climate crisis.

"UN negotiations are consensus-based, and in a period of international tensions, consensus is increasingly difficult to reach," observed one senior UN official. "I cannot pretend that these talks has achieved complete success that is needed. The gap between present circumstances and what science demands remains dangerously wide."

Should the world is to prevent the worst ravages of climate breakdown, the UN climate talks alone will prove insufficient.