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While dawn crept over the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, negotiators remained trapped in a enclosed conference room, oblivious whether it was day or night. They had been 12 hours in difficult discussions, with dozens ministers representing multiple blocs of countries including the most vulnerable nations to the richest economies.

Patience wore thin, the air thick as exhausted delegates confronted the sobering reality: there would not be a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The 30th UN climate conference faced the brink of abject failure.

The central impasse: Fossil fuels

As science has told us for more than a century, the greenhouse gases produced by consuming fossil fuels is increasing temperatures on our planet to alarming levels.

Yet, during nearly three decades of regular climate meetings, the essential necessity to halt fossil fuel use has been referenced only once – in a decision made two years ago at previous UN climate talks to "shift from fossil fuels". Representatives from the Gulf states, Russia, and multiple other countries were resolved this would not occur another time.

Mounting support for change

Meanwhile, a increasing coalition of countries were equally determined that movement on this issue was crucially important. They had developed a initiative that was earning expanding support and made it clear they were ready to dig in.

Emerging economies desperately wanted to advance on securing economic resources to help them cope with the increasingly severe impacts of environmental crises.

Breaking point

In the pre-dawn period of Saturday, some delegates were prepared to withdraw and trigger failure. "It was on the edge for us," commented one national delegate. "I considered to walk away."

The pivotal moment occurred through talks with Saudi Arabia. Around 6am, principal delegates separated from the main group to hold a private conversation with the lead Saudi negotiator. They pressed language that would indirectly acknowledge the global commitment to "move beyond fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Unexpected agreement

As opposed to explicitly namechecking fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the Dubai agreement". Following reflection, the Saudi delegation unforeseeably accepted the wording.

The room expressed relief. Celebrations began. The settlement was completed.

With what became known as the "Amazon accord", the world took a modest advance towards the systematic reduction of fossil fuels – a hesitant, inadequate step that will scarcely affect the climate's steady march towards disaster. But nevertheless a important shift from total inaction.

Important aspects of the agreement

• Complementing the oblique commitment in the legally agreed text, countries will commence creating a framework to phase out fossil fuels
• This will be largely a voluntary initiative led by Brazil that will deliver findings next year
• Addressing the essential decreases in greenhouse gas emissions to stay within the 1.5C limit was also put off to next year
• Developing countries obtained a tripling to $120bn of regular financial support to help them manage the impacts of climate disasters
• This funding will not be completely provided until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "just transition mechanism" to help people working in polluting businesses shift to the clean economy

Mixed reactions

As the world hovers near the brink of climate "critical thresholds" that could devastate environments and throw whole regions into chaos, the agreement was not the "giant leap" needed.

"Cop30 gave us some small advances in the right direction, but in light of the magnitude of the climate crisis, it has fallen short of the occasion," warned one policy director.

This limited deal might have been the maximum achievable, given the international tensions – including a American leader who avoided the talks and remains aligned with oil and coal, the increasing presence of conservative movements, continuing wars in different locations, extreme measures of inequality, and global economic uncertainty.

"Fossil fuel corporations – the oil and gas companies – were ultimately in the focus at Cop30," says one climate activist. "This represents progress on that. The platform is available. Now we must transform it into a actual pathway to a more secure planet."

Major disagreements revealed

Even as nations were able to welcome the official adoption of the deal, Cop30 also exposed deep fissures in the only global process for addressing the climate crisis.

"Climate conferences are agreement-dependent, and in a time of geopolitical divides, unanimity is progressively challenging to reach," commented one international diplomat. "It would be dishonest to claim that Cop30 has achieved complete success that is needed. The difference between present circumstances and what science demands remains dangerously wide."

If the world is to prevent the gravest consequences of climate breakdown, the UN climate talks alone will not be nearly enough.