Comprehensive Scoring Analysis

COP30: Five key takeaways from a deeply divisive climate summit 23 November 2025 Justin Rowlatt , Climate Editor and Ma…

Many countries were livid when COP30 in Belém, Brazil ended on Saturday with no mention of the fossil fuels that have h…

Other nations - particularly those with most to gain from their continued production - felt vindicated.

The summit was a reality check on just how much global consensus has broken down over what to do about climate change.

Here are five key takeaways from what some have called the "COP of truth".

Brazil - not their finest hour The most important thing to come out of COP30 is that the climate 'ship' is still afloat…

And despite a great deal of warmth for Brazil and for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, there is frustration with th…

Right from the off there seemed to be a gulf between what President Lula wanted this meeting to achieve, and what COP p…

So Lula talked of roadmaps away from fossil fuels to the handful of world leaders that came to Belém before the officia…

The idea was taken up by a number of countries including the UK, and within days there was a campaign to get this roadm…

His north star was consensus.

He knew that forcing the issue of fossil fuels on the agenda would rupture that.

While the initial text for agreement had some vague references to things that looked a roadmap, within days they were g…

Colombia and the European Union and around 80 countries tried to find some language that would signal a stronger step a…

To find consensus, do Lago convened a mutirão, a kind of Brazilian group discussion.

It made matters worse.

Negotiators from Arab countries refused to join huddles with those who wanted a pathway away from fossil energy.

The EU were given short shrift by major producers.

"We make energy policy in our capital not in yours," the Saudi delegate told them in a closed-door meeting, according t…