Fossil fuel debate crucial for COP30: Brazil's climate change secretary

Associated Press Baku/New Delhi: Brazil will push for a focused debate on how the world can transition away from fossil fuels at the UN climate conference in Belem next year, according to a top official from the South American country. Talking to PTI on the sidelines of the UN climate talks in Baku last week, Brazil's National Secretary for Climate Change, Ana Toni, said her country has also launched a diplomatic effort to encourage other nations to submit more ambitious climate plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), by early next year. Under the Paris Agreement, countries are required to submit updated NDCs every five years.

These plans are meant to reflect stronger climate commitments based on the latest climate science. “Brazil came to Baku proposing a debate on how we are going to transition away from fossil fuels. We believe this debate is crucial and fundamental, and we hope we have that debate at COP30 as well,” Toni said. At COP29, some countries aimed to reaffirm last year's COP28 agreement, which called for all nations to move away from fossil fuels. However, this proposal faced strong opposition, and the final documents from COP29 did not even mention the words "fossil fuels". It will be important to see how Brazil brings the issue of fossil fuels, a major cause of climate change, back into focus at the climate conference in Belém. Toni also highlighted three key topics that will be prioritized at COP30: aligning national climate targets with the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, speeding up implementation of commitments, and helping countries adapt to the impacts of a warming world.

When asked about the impact of a weak outcome at COP29 on NDCs, Toni said that Brazil has started an "NDC diplomacy" to encourage other nations to adopt more ambitious climate goals. "Brazil came to Baku with its own NDC, aiming for a 67 per cent reduction in emissions (by 2035 compared to 2005 levels). We understand what kind of support we need to achieve these goals. Unfortunately, we won't leave Baku with all the resources we need," she said.