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As dawn crept over the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, delegates remained trapped in a windowless conference room, uncertain whether it was day or night. For more than 12 hours in difficult discussions, with numerous ministers representing various coalitions of countries including the poorest nations to the richest economies.

Tempers were short, the air thick as sweaty delegates confronted the grim reality: they were unlikely to achieve a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The latest global climate summit hovered near the brink of complete breakdown.

The central impasse: Fossil fuels

Scientific evidence has shown for well over a century, the greenhouse gases produced by consuming fossil fuels is warming our planet to critical levels.

Nevertheless, during more than three decades of regular climate meetings, the urgent need to cease fossil fuel use has been referenced only once – in a agreement made two years ago at the Dubai climate summit to "move beyond fossil fuels". Officials from the Middle Eastern nations, Russia, and multiple other countries were resolved this would not happen again.

Increasing pressure for change

Simultaneously, a expanding group of countries were equally determined that progress on this issue was crucially important. They had developed a initiative that was gathering increasing support and made it apparent they were ready to hold firm.

Emerging economies urgently needed to move forward on securing economic resources to help them address the already disastrous impacts of extreme weather.

Critical moment

During the night of Saturday, some delegates were prepared to leave and trigger failure. "We were close for us," commented one energy minister. "I was ready to walk away."

The critical development came through discussions with Saudi Arabia. Around 6am, principal delegates separated from the main group to hold a closed-door meeting with the head Saudi negotiator. They encouraged text that would indirectly acknowledge the global commitment to "transition away 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". Following reflection, the Saudi delegation surprisingly approved the wording.

Delegates showed visible relief. Applause rang out. The agreement was completed.

With what became known as the "Amazon accord", the world took another small step towards the gradual elimination of fossil fuels – a hesitant, limited step that will minimally impact the climate's ongoing trajectory towards catastrophe. But nevertheless a notable change from total inaction.

Major components of the agreement

• Complementing the oblique commitment in the official document, countries will begin work a framework to systematically reduce fossil fuels
• This will be largely a voluntary initiative led by Brazil that will provide updates next year
• Addressing the necessary cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to not exceed the 1.5C limit was similarly postponed to next year
• Developing countries obtained a significant expansion to $120bn of regular financial support to help them cope with the impacts of extreme weather
• This sum will not be completely provided until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "equitable change process" to help people working in fossil fuel sectors transition to the sustainable sector

Mixed reactions

As the world teeters on the brink of climate "tipping points" that could destroy ecosystems and plunge whole regions into chaos, the agreement was far from the "giant leap" needed.

"Negotiators delivered some baby steps in the proper course, but given the magnitude of the climate crisis, it has fallen short of the occasion," warned one policy director.

This imperfect deal might have been all that was possible, given the geopolitical headwinds – including a US president who shunned the talks and remains aligned with oil and coal, the growing influence of conservative movements, ongoing conflicts in different locations, unacceptable degrees of inequality, and global economic instability.

"Fossil fuel corporations – the oil and gas companies – were at last in the spotlight at Cop30," comments one climate activist. "There is no turning back on that. The platform is available. Now we must transform it into a actual pathway to a more secure planet."

Significant divisions revealed

Even as nations were able to welcome the formal approval of the deal, Cop30 also revealed significant divisions in the sole international mechanism for addressing the climate crisis.

"International summits are unanimity-required, and in a period of international tensions, unanimity is increasingly difficult to reach," commented one senior UN official. "We should not suggest that these talks has provided all that is needed. The gap between our current position and what research requires remains concerningly substantial."

If the world is to avert the most severe impacts of climate collapse, the UN climate talks alone will not be nearly enough.