Dhaka, Nov 20, 2025 (EP Desk) - The ninth day of COP30 saw negotiators grapple with unresolved issues at the heart of the global climate agenda. Despite new compromise language introduced by the Brazilian Presidency, substantial gaps persisted around fossil-fuel phaseout commitments and the scale of post-2030 climate finance. With the window for agreement narrowing, ministers were called in to resolve the most contentious points. The mood in Belém was one of cautious anticipation, mixed with growing frustration among observers and activists.
The negotiators handed difficult issues up to ministerial/Presidency level while governments and civil society pressed for a clear path on fossil-fuel phaseout, finance for vulnerable countries, and rules/words on the clean-energy transition (including minerals). The Brazilian Presidency has been active in trying to assemble a “Belém package” but key text remains contested and some political leaders — including President Lula — have been criticized by Indigenous groups and activists for not delivering faster or stronger guarantees on Amazon protection and finance. Large, sustained civil society mobilizations (Indigenous groups, youth, NGOs) are demanding an urgent, just fossil-fuel phaseout and stronger adaptation/finance commitments.
Negotiations — Day 9 outcomes (what moved and what didn’t)
• No final “Belem package” yet, but presidency pressed to bundle hard items. Brazil’s COP Presidency tried to assemble a package of remaining political items (finance, phaseout language, Article 6/formalities) for ministers to resolve; negotiators moved from technical room work into ministerial consultations. Progress was described as uneven — a lot of political bridging remained.
• Fossil-fuel/phaseout language advanced politically but remained vague in text. A draft from the Presidency included wording on a transition away from fossil fuels; it raised hopes but also complaints that language is imprecise and subject to major carve-outs. Roughly 70–80 countries and coalitions pushed explicitly for a roadmap toward phasing out fossil fuels, but oil/gas producers and some negotiating blocs slowed consensus.
• New issues surfaced (critical minerals) and faced pushback. For the first time minerals needed for the clean-energy transition were proposed for inclusion in a just-transition text; China and Russia resisted mentions of critical minerals, creating another sticking point that could delay a final package.
• Article 6 / carbon market formalities: observers expected formalities to be wrapped up soon, but negotiators still had to finalize several technical points.
2) COP Presidency — what it did on Day 9
• Active shuttle diplomacy and a draft “Belem package.” The Presidency (Brazil) moved between negotiating rooms, issued draft texts and “letters from the Presidency,” and organized three interlinked tracks (ministerial political consultations; technical work; Presidency consultations) to try to weld a negotiated outcome. It explicitly framed COP30 as an “Action Agenda” focused on implementation and rollout of initiatives.
• Balancing act: Presidency language attempted to include politically sensitive elements (fossil transition wording, references to nature/forests, implementation initiatives) but kept the wording deliberately broad to maintain buy-in — which produced mixed reactions from Parties and civil society.
3) Brazilian President — visibility and criticism
• Visibility but limited decisive breakthroughs. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been present and publicly urging action, and the Guardian and others report him trying to find common ground among negotiators; however his government’s dual role (host and national political actor) has made him a focal point for demands rather than the single driver of outcomes.
• Civil society singled him out for action on the Amazon and Indigenous rights. Indigenous delegations and protesters directly called on Lula to deliver stronger protections and concrete commitments on rainforest safeguarding and anti-deforestation measures; some groups staged disruptions and demanded stronger guarantees than the negotiated text offered. That produced headlines framing him as not yet delivering the level of rapid, binding action activists want.
4) Civil society stand
• Large, visible mobilizations. Tens of thousands took part in marches (the “Great People’s March”), with Indigenous groups, youth and NGOs staging colourful, sometimes confrontational demonstrations demanding a just fossil-fuel phaseout, protection for Indigenous territories, reparations, and far more finance for adaptation and loss & damage.
• Key demands: (1) an explicit, time-bound roadmap for phasing out oil, gas and coal (a “full, fast, fair” phaseout), (2) far more predictable and scaled finance for adaptation and loss & damage for vulnerable countries, (3) Indigenous rights and Amazon protection as non-negotiable, (4) transparency and accountability for corporate lobby influence. Many civil-society actors also criticized the presence/role of industry lobbyists.
• Tactics and impact: protests forced security responses, some disruptions at the venue, and strong public messaging that kept political pressure on negotiators and the Presidency. UN human-rights experts and advocacy groups voiced concern about restrictions to civic participation at times.
5) Implications & watchlist (what to monitor next)
1. Ministerial phase: whether ministers accept a Presidency “package” or insist on rewrites — that will determine if a multi-issue Belem package is adopted.
2. Fossil phaseout wording: watch exact text (timelines, exceptions, “just transition” clauses) — this will show whether the COP moves from rhetorical support to operational commitments.
3. Finance and loss & damage: any concrete new pledges or mechanisms (scale, sources, instruments) — civil society is pushing hard on this.
4. Critical minerals language and trade/industrial clauses: if included, these could shape the geopolitics of the energy transition (expect more pushback).
Day 9 was politically intense: the Presidency actively tried to forge a package, negotiators escalated to ministerial level, and civil society kept public pressure high. Progress on phaseout language and implementation initiatives exists but remains fragile; big gaps on finance, wording on minerals, and concrete Amazon protections persist — and those gaps are the focus of both negotiators and demonstrators as the summit moves toward the final days.
