Belém, Brazil - November 18, 2025 – The COP30 climate summit in Belém concluded with a deal characterized by compromises adn a reliance on voluntary measures, falling short of a commitment to phase out fossil fuels. While a landmark agreement on a new global goal for climate finance was reached,key elements-including a roadmap to end deforestation-were stalled,prompting a parallel push led by Colombia and over 90 other nations.
The final agreement at COP30 centers on a new collective quantified goal (NCQG) for climate finance, intended to considerably increase financial support for developing nations. Details of the NCQG are still being finalized, with a commitment to report back to future COPs.
A separate initiative, spearheaded by Colombia and supported by approximately 90 countries, aims to develop a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels. This ”coalition of the willing” will hold a summit in April to advance the plan, operating outside the formal UN process.Cop30 President André Corrêa do Lago emphasized the plan’s backing from President Lula and its focus on science-led dialogues involving governments, industry, and civil society.”Those governments committed to tackling the climate crisis at its source are uniting to move forward outside the UN…to phase out fossil fuels rapidly, equitably, and in line with 1.5C,” stated Nikki Reisch of the Center for International Environmental Law.
Efforts to include a deforestation roadmap within the core COP30 agreement were unsuccessful. The proposal was reportedly linked to the fossil fuel roadmap,a connection described by some as a diplomatic misstep or potential sabotage by Brazil’s foreign ministry,which prioritizes oil exports. Toerris Jaeger of Rainforest Foundation Norway noted the Amazon’s strong presence at the negotiations but expressed disappointment at the lack of concrete plans to halt deforestation.
Despite the setback on a unified deforestation roadmap, Brazil launched the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), a multibillion-dollar fund designed to financially incentivize nations to preserve their forests, operating independently of the UN framework. Dr. Fernando Barrio of Queen Mary University of London highlighted the fund’s importance, stating, “The TFFF reflects a growing recognition that climate integrity and forest protection are inseparable…there is no path to 1.5C that does not involve ending deforestation this decade.”
