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While dawn crept over the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, delegates remained trapped in a windowless conference room, unaware whether it was day or night. They had been 12 hours in strained discussions, with numerous ministers representing 17 groups of countries including the most vulnerable nations to the wealthiest economies.

Tempers were short, the air stifling as weary delegates acknowledged the grim reality: they would not reach a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The 30th UN climate conference hovered near the brink of total collapse.

The sticking point: Fossil fuels

As science has told us for well over a century, the CO2 emissions produced by utilizing fossil fuels is increasing temperatures on our planet to alarming levels.

Yet, during nearly three decades of annual climate meetings, the essential necessity to halt fossil fuel use has been mentioned only once – in a agreement made two years ago at Cop28 to "move beyond fossil fuels". Representatives from the Middle Eastern nations, Russia, and several other countries were determined this would not occur another time.

Growing momentum for change

Simultaneously, a expanding group of countries were equally determined that progress on this issue was urgently necessary. They had developed a initiative that was attracting expanding support and made it apparent they were willing to hold firm.

Emerging economies strongly sought to move forward on securing economic resources to help them cope with the already disastrous impacts of climate disasters.

Critical moment

By the early hours of Saturday, some delegates were prepared to withdraw and cause breakdown. "We were close for us," stated one government representative. "I was ready to walk away."

The breakthrough came through discussions with Saudi Arabia. Shortly after 6am, principal delegates split from the main group to hold a closed-door meeting with the head Saudi negotiator. They pressed language that would subtly reference the global commitment to "transition away from fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Unexpected agreement

Rather than explicitly namechecking fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the Dubai agreement". After consideration, the Saudi delegation unforeseeably agreed to the wording.

Delegates showed visible relief. Cheers erupted. The settlement was finalized.

With what became known as the "Brazil agreement", the world took a modest advance towards the phaseout of fossil fuels – a uncertain, limited step that will scarcely affect the climate's continued progression towards disaster. But nevertheless a notable change from absolute paralysis.

Important aspects of the agreement

• Complementing the subtle acknowledgment in the legally agreed text, countries will start developing a roadmap to gradually eliminate fossil fuels
• This will be mostly a optional undertaking led by Brazil that will report back next year
• Addressing the necessary cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to stay within the 1.5C limit was also put off to next year
• Developing countries secured a tripling to $120bn of annual finance to help them manage the impacts of extreme weather
• This funding will not be completely provided until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "just transition mechanism" to help people working in polluting businesses move toward the clean economy

Varied responses

While our planet approaches the brink of climate "irreversible changes" that could devastate environments and plunge whole regions into crisis, the agreement was far from the "giant leap" needed.

"Cop30 gave us some baby steps in the correct path, but given the magnitude of the climate crisis, it has failed to rise to the occasion," warned one environmental analyst.

This imperfect deal might have been all that was possible, given the political challenges – including a US president who shunned the talks and remains wedded to oil and coal, the increasing presence of rightwing populism, continuing wars in multiple regions, extreme measures of inequality, and global economic uncertainty.

"Major polluters – the energy conglomerates – were at last in the focus at these negotiations," says one policy convener. "There is no turning back on that. The political space is accessible. Now we must turn it into a actual pathway to a safer world."

Significant divisions revealed

While nations were able to celebrate the formal approval of the deal, Cop30 also revealed major disagreements in the sole international mechanism for confronting the climate crisis.

"UN negotiations are consensus-based, and in a period of geopolitical divides, agreement is increasingly difficult to reach," commented one senior UN official. "I cannot pretend that this summit has delivered everything that is needed. The difference between present circumstances and what research requires remains alarmingly large."

Should the world is to prevent the worst ravages of climate breakdown, the UN climate talks alone will not be nearly enough.