Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Fire Briefly Halts COP30 in Belém as Split Over Fossil‑Fuel Roadmap Deepens

Negotiations resumed after safety checks, yet a weak presidency draft and lost hours leave the outcome uncertain in the effort to turn last year’s pledge into a concrete plan.

Overview

  • A blaze in the pavilion zone prompted a full evacuation, with organizers reporting 13 people treated for smoke inhalation before the fire was contained in about six minutes.
  • Authorities inspected the site and reinstated operations later, and investigators said an electrical fault was the likely cause, with the affected area kept isolated.
  • The disruption cost critical hours as talks slipped past Brazil’s timetable and raised the likelihood of overtime in the summit’s final stretch.
  • Roughly 80 countries are pressing for a fossil‑fuel transition roadmap, while major producers including China, India, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Russia oppose it.
  • Brazil’s earlier draft listed the roadmap only as an option, and a newer text seen by AFP omitted the words “fossil fuels,” drawing backlash from a coalition led by Colombia, as finance and trade issues also remain unresolved.