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While dawn crept over the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, delegates remained confined in a airless conference room, uncertain whether it was day or night. They had been 12 hours in strained discussions, with scores ministers representing 17 groups of countries ranging from the least developed nations to the wealthiest economies.

Frustration mounted, the air stifling as weary delegates confronted the grim reality: they were unlikely to achieve a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The international climate negotiations faced the brink of abject failure.

The central impasse: Fossil fuels

Scientific evidence has shown for more than a century, the greenhouse gases produced by consuming fossil fuels is increasing temperatures on our planet to dangerous levels.

Yet, during nearly three decades of annual climate meetings, the essential necessity to cease fossil fuel use has been mentioned only once – in a agreement made two years ago at the Dubai climate summit to "transition away from fossil fuels". Delegates from the Middle Eastern nations, Russia, and several other countries were determined this would not be repeated.

Mounting support for change

Meanwhile, a increasing coalition of countries were equally determined that progress on this issue was crucially important. They had formulated a plan that was attracting expanding support and made it evident they were ready to dig in.

Less wealthy nations desperately wanted to advance on securing funding support to help them address the increasingly severe impacts of environmental crises.

Critical moment

By the early hours of Saturday, some delegates were willing to walk out and trigger failure. "We were close for us," stated one government representative. "I was prepared to walk away."

The critical development occurred through talks with Saudi Arabia. Near 6am, key negotiators split from the main group to hold a confidential discussion with the head Saudi negotiator. They encouraged wording that would indirectly acknowledge the global commitment to "shift from fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Unanticipated resolution

As opposed to explicitly referencing fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the UAE consensus". Following reflection, the Saudi delegation unforeseeably agreed to the wording.

Delegates collapsed into relief. Applause rang out. The settlement was completed.

With what became known as the "Belém political package", the world took an incremental move towards the phaseout of fossil fuels – a hesitant, limited step that will barely interrupt the climate's continued progression towards crisis. But nevertheless a important shift from complete stagnation.

Important aspects of the agreement

• Complementing the subtle acknowledgment in the official document, countries will start developing a framework to phase out fossil fuels
• This will be mostly a voluntary initiative led by Brazil that will provide updates next year
• Addressing the necessary cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to stay within the 1.5C limit was likewise deferred to next year
• Developing countries secured a significant expansion to $120bn of annual finance to help them adapt to the impacts of extreme weather
• This amount will not be completely provided until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "equitable change process" to help people working in polluting businesses move toward the sustainable sector

Mixed reactions

As the world approaches the brink of climate "tipping points" that could eliminate habitats and plunge whole regions into crisis, the agreement was insufficient as the "significant advancement" needed.

"The summit provided some small advances in the right direction, but given the severity of the climate crisis, it has not met the occasion," cautioned one policy director.

This flawed deal might have been the best attainable, given the international tensions – including a Washington administration who ignored the talks and remains committed to oil and coal, the increasing presence of nationalist politics, continuing wars in various areas, unacceptable degrees of inequality, and global economic volatility.

"Fossil fuel corporations – the oil and gas companies – were ultimately in the spotlight at Cop30," notes one policy convener. "We have crossed a threshold on that. The political space is open. Now we must turn it into a real fire escape to a more secure planet."

Deep fissures revealed

Although nations were able to celebrate the gavelling through of the deal, Cop30 also highlighted deep fissures in the only global process for confronting the climate crisis.

"International summits are consensus-based, and in a time of global disagreements, consensus is progressively challenging to reach," observed one global leader. "We should not suggest that these talks has provided all that is needed. The disparity between our current position and what evidence necessitates remains alarmingly large."

If the world is to avoid the worst ravages of climate collapse, the global discussions alone will not be nearly enough.