Belgium joins coalition threatening to block COP30 deal without commitment to phase out fossil fuels
Together with around thirty other countries, Belgium has warned that it will block the final agreement at the UN climate summit unless it includes a commitment to phasing out fossil fuels. The spokesperson for Climate minister Jean-Luc Crucke confirmed the news to Belga.
"We cannot support an outcome that fails to set out a roadmap for a just, orderly and equitable transition away from fossil fuels," the signatories stated in a letter seen by several international media outlets. According to The Guardian, the message was endorsed by at least 29 countries from Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Oceania. France, Spain and the United Kingdom are also among the supporters.
COP30 is scheduled to close on Friday evening. André Corrêa do Lago, the Brazilian chair, must present a text capable of securing consensus among the nearly 200 participating states. However, his most recent draft reportedly omits any reference to phasing down fossil fuels, an omission which is said to be due to pressure from major oil-producing states such as Saudi Arabia and Russia, as well as heavy oil consumers including China and India.
Dominant driver of global warming
Earlier this week, Crucke reiterated Belgium’s support for the Colombian-Brazilian initiative known as the 'Belém Declaration on the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels'. This declaration follows the landmark COP28 decision in Dubai, where governments collectively called for the first time for a transition away from fossil fuels. This call was not renewed at COP29 in Baku, prompting countries led by Colombia to revive momentum at COP30.
In total, around eighty countries from the Global North and the Global South are urging the adoption of a roadmap to speed up the phase-out process. Signatories include Germany, the United Kingdom, Kenya, the Marshall Islands and Sierra Leone. To further operationalise the initiative, an international conference is expected to be held in Colombia in April 2026.
The continued use of fossil fuels, alongside large-scale deforestation and intensive livestock farming, is having an increasingly significant impact on the global climate. These activities release vast quantities of greenhouse gases, thereby strengthening the greenhouse effect and accelerating planetary warming.
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is the main contributor. As concentrations accumulate in the atmosphere, they cause sea levels to rise, lead to extreme weather events, trigger droughts and cause temperatures to rise.
Every tonne of CO₂ emitted contributes to global warming, and every reduction slows it down. To halt warming entirely, global net-zero CO₂ emissions are required. Reducing other greenhouse gases, particularly methane, can also substantially curb near-term temperature increases.
© Mateus Bonomi/AGIF
Related News
