Brasília, October 13, 2025 – Less than a month before the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP30, which will take place in Belém (PA), a crucial issue for the planet still hangs in the air, with no sign that it will be properly addressed: the gradual phase-out of fossil fuels. There is a real risk that a deal on this will once again be left out of the final declaration, repeating the failure of COP29, which was marked by the strong presence of pro-oil lobbyists.

The burning of fossil fuels accounts for 70% of greenhouse gas emissions driving the climate crisis. That is why, at COP30, it is imperative for nations to reach a consensus on an ambitious plan with clear, concrete targets to progressively reduce the use of oil, gas, and coal, coupled with a just energy transition.

To reinforce this message, civil society organizations put up billboards across Brasília, which this week is hosting more than 30 heads of delegations for the Pre-COP – the last high-level meeting before Belém. The goal is to remind them that a real solution to the climate crisis necessarily involves ending the fossil fuel era.

At COP28 in 2023, the Global Stocktake (GST) – the Paris Agreement’s global progress assessment – recognized the shift away from fossil fuels as an urgent action for this critical decade. Countries also committed to tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030.

However, the lack of more ambitious commitments by countries, combined with a complex geopolitical landscape – marked by the rise of the far-right and inadequate, insufficient, and unjust international climate finance – will put governments’ climate pledges to the test. This scenario underscores the need for greater political and diplomatic pressure to ensure the next steps deliver clear and binding commitments.

It is essential for all negotiators to work effectively toward the success of COP30. A meaningful outcome must ensure progress in halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation, as well as advancing all aspects of the COP28 energy package – including a just, orderly, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels. Implementation must be accelerated, which requires increased investment and support, including robust financial flows for a just energy transition in developing countries.

Kumi Naidoo, President of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative: ”COP30 is not just another summit - it is a historic opportunity to definitively change the course of history. After 30 years of broken promises in climate negotiations, and a decade since the Paris Agreement, we continue to expand the problem by allowing increased fossil fuel production and extraction. We need a global plan for a truly just and equitable transition to a fossil fuel-free future - one that is fast, fair, and fully financed. This isn't just about climate policy. This is about our survival. The world is watching, and governments must rise to the occasion. The fossil fuel industry's dominance over our future must end. The time for true leadership is now."

Ilan Zugman, Latin America & Caribbean Regional Director for 350.org: “The Pre-COP is the last call of the year for governments to show, ahead of COP30, whether they’re truly willing to act. The world needs a global agreement for the fair, equitable, and gradual phase-out of fossil fuels. This is the only real way to tackle the climate crisis and the non-negotiable starting point for any just energy transition. But regardless of what is decided in the negotiation rooms, civil society and movements will be in Belém, holding their own "mutirão” and showing that we will not let our guard down. The climate emergency allows no half-measures – and neither do we. We will keep mobilizing until there are real, immediate commitments that meet the scale of the crisis we face.”

Claudio Angelo, International Policy Coordinator at Observatório do Clima: “The main drivers of global warming – fossil fuels – are simply not on the COP30 agenda. Two years ago, the world agreed to gradually phase out oil, coal, and gas. Now we need to decide how fast this must happen and in what order, with rich countries leading the way. Accelerating the transition is the only way to bring the Earth’s temperature back to the 1.5°C limit this century, and Belém will fail billions of people affected by extreme events if it remains silent on this issue.”