A fire broke out at the COP30 climate summit pavilion in Belém, Brazil on Thursday (November 20th), prompting the evacuation of several buildings, just two days before the high-stakes talks.
Officials said the fire, which broke out in the side event section, was quickly brought under control and no injuries were reported.
However, the fire authorities ordered a complete evacuation of the site for safety checks, delaying the conference proceedings.
The UN chief calls for a compromise
Hours before the adjournment, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged delegates to reach an agreement despite slow progress. “We are on the wire and the world is watching Belém,” he warned, urging negotiators to “show willingness and flexibility to achieve results.” He reminded countries that frontline communities facing “flooded homes, failed harvests (and) lost livelihoods” expect concrete actions, not excuses.
Tense negotiations on fossil fuels and finance
The talks sought to make progress on contentious issues, including how aggressively countries should phase out fossil fuels and how much financial support rich nations should provide to vulnerable countries.
Guterres said he was “absolutely convinced” that a compromise was still possible and rejected the idea that failure to take the strongest measures would amount to failure.
He again called on wealthier countries to triple annual adaptation funding from $40 billion to $120 billion, urging them to support vulnerable countries facing increasing floods, droughts and extreme heat.
Report to the United States
Responding to a question about US President Donald Trump – who has pulled the US out of global climate talks – Guterres said: “We are waiting for you. Asked if Trump might soften his stance on climate, he replied with a smile: “Hope is the last thing that dies.”
Pressure from climate-vulnerable countries
Earlier in the week, delegates from countries affected by the disaster made emotional calls for world leaders to move beyond the rhetoric. “No delegation will leave Belém with everything they want, but every delegation has an obligation to reach a balanced agreement,” Guterres said, stressing that “every country, especially the big emitters, must do more.”
Key issues are still not resolved
COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago set a Wednesday deadline for progress on four related issues left off the formal agenda – climate finance, stronger national climate plans, climate-related trade measures and transparency rules. No agreement was reached before the adjournment.
More than 80 countries are pushing for a detailed “road map” to transition away from fossil fuels, expanding on a broad but vague deal agreed in Dubai two years ago. While Guterres referred to that deal, he stopped short of endorsing a detailed phase-out plan — a key demand also voiced by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The conference is scheduled for Friday, although COP summits often go beyond their official dates as negotiators try to overcome deep differences.
