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When dawn crept over the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, negotiators remained stuck in a airless conference room, unaware whether it was day or night. They had been 12 hours in tense discussions, with scores ministers representing 17 groups of countries including the least developed nations to the richest economies.

Frustration mounted, the air heavy as weary delegates confronted the grim reality: there would not be a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The 30th UN climate conference teetered on the brink of total collapse.

The central impasse: Fossil fuels

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

Nevertheless, during over three decades of yearly climate meetings, the urgent need to halt fossil fuel use has been addressed 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 a few other countries were resolved this would not be repeated.

Growing momentum for change

Meanwhile, a increasing coalition of countries were similarly resolved that movement on this issue was vitally needed. They had developed a plan that was gathering expanding support and made it evident they were prepared to hold firm.

Less wealthy nations strongly sought to move forward on securing financial assistance to help them cope with the increasingly severe impacts of climate disasters.

Breaking point

During the night of Saturday, some delegates were prepared to leave and trigger failure. "The situation was precarious for us," remarked one national delegate. "I was prepared to walk away."

The breakthrough occurred through talks with Saudi Arabia. Around 6am, principal delegates split from the main group to hold a private conversation with the head Saudi negotiator. They encouraged language that would obliquely recognise the global commitment to "shift from fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Surprising consensus

Rather than explicitly namechecking fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the previous commitment". Following reflection, the Saudi delegation unexpectedly agreed to the wording.

Delegates collapsed into relief. Celebrations began. The deal was completed.

With what became known as the "Amazon accord", the world took another small step towards the gradual elimination of fossil fuels – a faltering, limited step that will minimally impact the climate's steady march towards catastrophe. But nevertheless a notable change from total inaction.

Key elements of the agreement

• Complementing the oblique commitment in the formal agreement, countries will commence creating a framework to phase out fossil fuels
• This will be mostly a optional undertaking led by Brazil that will report back next year
• Addressing the essential decreases in greenhouse gas emissions to remain below the 1.5C limit was similarly postponed to next year
• Developing countries obtained a significant expansion to $120bn of annual finance to help them adapt to the impacts of environmental crises
• This sum will not be fully available until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "just transition mechanism" to help people working in polluting businesses transition to the renewable industry

Mixed reactions

With global conditions hovers near the brink of climate "irreversible changes" that could devastate environments and throw whole regions into disorder, the agreement was not the "major breakthrough" needed.

"Negotiators delivered some modest progress in the right direction, but considering the scale of the climate crisis, it has not met the occasion," stated one policy director.

This imperfect deal might have been all that was possible, given the political challenges – including a US president who avoided the talks and remains committed to oil and coal, the growing influence of nationalist politics, persistent fighting in various areas, extreme measures of inequality, and global economic instability.

"Fossil fuel corporations – the oil and gas companies – were at last in the spotlight at Cop30," notes one climate activist. "This represents progress on that. The platform is open. Now we must transform it into a real fire escape to a safer world."

Deep fissures revealed

Even as nations were able to celebrate the formal approval of the deal, Cop30 also revealed deep fissures in the primary worldwide framework for confronting the climate crisis.

"Climate conferences are consensus-based, and in a era of geopolitical divides, consensus is progressively challenging to reach," stated one international diplomat. "I cannot pretend that Cop30 has achieved complete success that is needed. The gap between our current position and what science demands remains alarmingly large."

If the world is to prevent the gravest consequences of climate collapse, the UN climate talks alone will fall far short.