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When dawn was breaking the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, delegates remained trapped in a airless conference room, oblivious whether it was day or night. They had been 12 hours in difficult discussions, with dozens ministers representing various coalitions of countries from the poorest nations to the richest economies.

Patience wore thin, the air thick as exhausted 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 sticking point: Fossil fuels

Research has demonstrated for well over a century, the greenhouse gases produced by utilizing fossil fuels is increasing temperatures on our planet to alarming levels.

Nevertheless, during more than three decades of yearly climate meetings, the urgent need to cease fossil fuel use has been addressed only once – in a agreement made two years ago at the Dubai climate summit to "transition away from fossil fuels". Officials from the Arab Group, Russia, and several other countries were adamant this would not happen again.

Growing momentum for change

Simultaneously, a growing number of countries were equally determined that advancement on this issue was crucially important. They had created a initiative that was gathering growing support and made it apparent they were ready to dig in.

Developing countries desperately wanted to advance on securing financial assistance to help them manage the already disastrous impacts of climate disasters.

Turning point

In the pre-dawn period of Saturday, some delegates were willing to withdraw and trigger failure. "We were close for us," remarked one national delegate. "I was ready to walk away."

The critical development occurred through negotiations with Saudi Arabia. Near 6am, senior representatives separated from the main group to hold a closed-door meeting with the chief Saudi negotiator. They urged wording that would indirectly acknowledge the global commitment to "shift from fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Surprising consensus

Instead of explicitly mentioning fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the previous commitment". After consideration, the Saudi delegation unexpectedly accepted the wording.

Delegates collapsed into relief. Cheers erupted. The deal was finalized.

With what became known as the "Belém political package", the world took a modest advance towards the systematic reduction of fossil fuels – a faltering, limited step that will scarcely affect the climate's continued progression towards crisis. But nevertheless a notable change from absolute paralysis.

Major components of the agreement

• In addition to the oblique commitment in the official document, countries will commence creating a roadmap to gradually eliminate fossil fuels
• This will be mostly a non-binding program led by Brazil that will report back next year
• Addressing the necessary cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to remain below the 1.5C limit was likewise deferred to next year
• Developing countries secured a tripling to $120bn of regular financial support to help them cope with the impacts of extreme weather
• This funding will not be delivered in full until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "equitable change process" to help people working in polluting businesses transition to the renewable industry

Varied responses

While our planet approaches the brink of climate "irreversible changes" that could eliminate habitats and throw whole regions into chaos, the agreement was not the "giant leap" needed.

"Cop30 gave us some modest progress in the correct path, but considering the scale of the climate crisis, it has fallen short of the occasion," warned one climate expert.

This flawed deal might have been the best attainable, given the geopolitical headwinds – including a Washington administration who avoided the talks and remains aligned with oil and coal, the growing influence of conservative movements, persistent fighting in multiple regions, unacceptable degrees of inequality, and global economic volatility.

"Fossil fuel corporations – the energy conglomerates – were finally in the spotlight at Cop30," comments one climate activist. "This represents progress on that. The platform is accessible. Now we must transform it into a genuine solution to a safer world."

Deep fissures revealed

Although nations were able to applaud the gavelling through of the deal, Cop30 also revealed significant divisions in the sole international mechanism for addressing the climate crisis.

"UN negotiations are consensus-based, and in a era of international tensions, agreement is progressively challenging to reach," commented one senior UN official. "We should not suggest that these talks has achieved complete success that is needed. The difference between where we are and what evidence necessitates remains alarmingly large."

Should the world is to prevent the most severe impacts of climate crisis, the international negotiations alone will fall far short.