Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday urged world leaders to start preparing for a future without fossil fuels.
His remarks came as pressure grew on the COP30 presidency to include a clear fossil-fuel phase-out plan in the summit’s final agreement.
Speaking during tense negotiations in Belém, Lula said the world must face the fact that fossil fuels are driving rapid emissions growth.
“If fossil fuel is the main cause of rising emissions, then we must start thinking about a world where we can live without it,” he said. He noted that Brazil extracts 5 million barrels of oil a day, but also leads in clean energy. Most of its electricity comes from renewable sources, and it uses high levels of ethanol and biodiesel.
Negotiators had hoped to finalise the agreement by Wednesday, but discussions ran late into the night.
COP30 began on November 10 and is scheduled to end on November 21, though it may extend if talks stall.
A first draft of the consensus text sparked deep divisions. It offered the possibility — but not the requirement — to phase out fossil fuels. Nearly 80 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America rejected this vague language. They demanded a firm, time-bound plan for phasing out fossil-fuel use. The European Union backed their call.
Lula, who arrived at the summit on Wednesday morning, held meetings with several international delegations, including a team from India led by Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav. Sources said Lula also met senior Brazilian officials and is now directly involved in efforts to break the deadlock.
In a briefing, Lula said all decisions at COP30 must come from open and respectful discussions. “We respect the sovereignty of every country,” he said. “Any final decision must be made through consensus. We don’t want to impose anything on anyone.”
Beyond fossil fuels, the draft text also calls for much stronger financial support from rich countries to developing nations. Lula repeated that environmental action must go hand in hand with fairness. Rich countries, he said, must help poorer nations protect forests and adapt to climate change.
The next 24 hours will show whether COP30 can reach a meaningful deal — or whether the debate on phasing out fossil fuels will again be pushed forward.