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While dawn crept over the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, negotiators remained confined in a windowless conference room, unaware whether it was day or night. For more than 12 hours in strained discussions, with dozens ministers representing multiple blocs of countries including the most vulnerable nations to the wealthiest economies.

Tempers were short, the air stifling as weary delegates acknowledged the grim reality: they would not reach a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The 30th UN climate conference hovered near the brink of abject failure.

The major obstacle: Fossil fuels

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

Yet, during over three decades of yearly climate meetings, the urgent need to halt fossil fuel use has been mentioned only once – in a resolution made two years ago at previous UN climate talks to "shift from fossil fuels". Officials from the Gulf states, Russia, and multiple other countries were determined this would not occur another time.

Growing momentum for change

Meanwhile, a increasing coalition of countries were equally determined that progress on this issue was urgently necessary. They had formulated a proposal that was earning growing support and made it evident they were willing to stand their ground.

Developing countries strongly sought to move forward on securing economic resources to help them cope with the increasingly severe impacts of climate disasters.

Turning point

By the early hours of Saturday, some delegates were ready to withdraw and trigger failure. "The situation was precarious for us," stated one energy minister. "I was prepared to walk away."

The breakthrough came through discussions with Saudi Arabia. Around 6am, senior representatives split from the main group to hold a confidential discussion with the chief Saudi negotiator. They urged text that would subtly reference the global commitment to "shift from fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Unanticipated resolution

Instead of explicitly mentioning fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the UAE consensus". Following reflection, the Saudi delegation surprisingly agreed to the wording.

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

With what became known as the "Amazon accord", the world took a modest advance towards the systematic reduction of fossil fuels – a faltering, insufficient step that will barely interrupt the climate's continued progression towards disaster. But nevertheless a notable change from complete stagnation.

Important aspects of the agreement

• Complementing the oblique commitment in the legally agreed text, countries will start developing a framework to gradually eliminate fossil fuels
• This will be mostly a optional undertaking led by Brazil that will report back next year
• Addressing the required reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to not exceed the 1.5C limit was similarly postponed to next year
• Developing countries secured a tripling to $120bn of regular financial support to help them manage the impacts of extreme weather
• This amount will not be completely provided until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "equitable change process" to help people working in high-carbon industries move toward the sustainable sector

Differing opinions

As the world hovers near the brink of climate "tipping points" that could eliminate habitats and throw whole regions into crisis, the agreement was far from the "major breakthrough" needed.

"The summit provided some small advances in the proper course, but considering the severity of the climate crisis, it has fallen short of the occasion," stated one policy director.

This limited deal might have been the maximum achievable, given the international tensions – including a US president who shunned the talks and remains committed to oil and coal, the rising tide of conservative movements, continuing wars in different locations, intolerable levels of inequality, and global economic uncertainty.

"The climate arsonists – the energy conglomerates – were at last in the crosshairs at Cop30," says one climate activist. "This represents progress on that. The platform is accessible. Now we must convert it to a genuine solution to a more secure planet."

Deep fissures revealed

Even as nations were able to welcome the gavelling through of the deal, Cop30 also exposed significant divisions in the sole international mechanism for tackling the climate crisis.

"Climate conferences are agreement-dependent, and in a time of geopolitical divides, agreement is increasingly difficult to reach," observed one senior UN official. "We should not suggest that these talks has provided all that is needed. The disparity between present circumstances and what evidence necessitates remains dangerously wide."

Should the world is to prevent the gravest consequences of climate crisis, the global discussions alone will fall far short.