The European Union (EU) on Friday, November 21, rejected a draft agreement at Brazil’s COP30 climate summit in Belém. The bloc refused to back the draft, stating it fell short of advancing global efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and lacked a commitment to move away from fossil fuels.

Delegates had scheduled the two-week negotiations to end Friday evening, but they continued the talks late into the night as they struggled to bridge deep divisions.

EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra declared the bloc would under no circumstances approve the current draft, as reported by Reuters. He confirmed the EU was willing to accept more financial burden for developing nations, but only if the text included stronger commitments for emissions reduction.

European negotiators indicated by late Friday that the EU was even considering abandoning the talks rather than accepting the text as drafted.

The deadlock centered on the omission of a plan to transition away from fossil fuels in the latest revised draft, a change made after resistance from major oil and natural gas producers. Although some 80 countries initially demanded a commitment to move away from fossil fuels, negotiators signaled many could reluctantly accept a deal without that language.

The Arab Group, whose 22 members include Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, told negotiators its energy industries were “off-limits for debate,” sources told Reuters. The sources further noted that Saudi Arabia, delivering a statement on behalf of the group, warned that targeting its industries would collapse the negotiations.

Brazil’s COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago urged delegates to find common ground, stressing that the agenda “cannot be an agenda that divides us” before sending them into further closed-door sessions.

In a separate development, the draft agreement urges a tripling of global funding for climate adaptation by 2030, compared with 2025 levels. However, it lacks clarity on whether this increase must come directly from wealthy nations or through other channels, such as development banks and private-sector finance. Securing any final deal requires unanimous approval from nearly all 200 participating countries.