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As dawn illuminated the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, negotiators remained stuck in a airless conference room, uncertain whether it was day or night. They had been 12 hours in strained discussions, with dozens ministers representing 17 groups of countries from the poorest nations to the most developed economies.

Patience wore thin, the air stifling as sweaty delegates faced up to the grim reality: they were unlikely to achieve a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The 30th UN climate conference faced the brink of total collapse.

The major obstacle: Fossil fuels

Research has demonstrated for more than a century, the carbon dioxide produced by consuming fossil fuels is heating up our planet to dangerous levels.

Nevertheless, during over three decades of regular climate meetings, the crucial requirement to stop fossil fuel use has been mentioned only once – in a decision made two years ago at the Dubai climate summit to "move beyond fossil fuels". Representatives from the Gulf states, Russia, and a few other countries were resolved this would not occur another time.

Mounting support for change

Simultaneously, a expanding group of countries were just as committed that advancement on this issue was urgently necessary. They had created a initiative that was earning increasing support and made it apparent they were willing to hold firm.

Less wealthy nations strongly sought to advance on securing financial assistance to help them cope with the increasingly severe impacts of environmental crises.

Critical moment

During the night of Saturday, some delegates were ready to walk out and force a collapse. "The situation was precarious for us," commented one national delegate. "I was prepared to walk away."

The breakthrough came through discussions with Saudi Arabia. Around 6am, key negotiators split from the main group to hold a closed-door meeting with the head Saudi negotiator. They pressed text that would indirectly acknowledge the global commitment to "shift from fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Surprising consensus

As opposed to explicitly namechecking fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the UAE consensus". After consideration, the Saudi delegation surprisingly accepted the wording.

Participants collapsed into relief. Cheers erupted. The agreement was done.

With what became known as the "Belém political package", the world took another small step towards the phaseout of fossil fuels – a faltering, insufficient step that will minimally impact the climate's steady march towards crisis. But nevertheless a significant departure from total inaction.

Key elements of the agreement

• Complementing the subtle acknowledgment in the legally agreed text, countries will begin work a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels
• This will be mostly a voluntary initiative led by Brazil that will provide updates next year
• Addressing the necessary cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to remain below the 1.5C limit was also put off to next year
• Developing countries obtained a threefold increase to $120bn of annual finance to help them adapt to the impacts of climate disasters
• This amount will not be delivered in full until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "equitable change process" to help people working in fossil fuel sectors move toward the sustainable sector

Varied responses

As the world hovers near the brink of climate "irreversible changes" that could devastate environments and force whole regions into chaos, the agreement was far from the "significant advancement" needed.

"The summit provided some small advances in the correct path, but given the severity of the climate crisis, it has failed to rise to the occasion," stated one climate expert.

This imperfect deal might have been the maximum achievable, given the geopolitical headwinds – including a US president who shunned the talks and remains aligned with oil and coal, the increasing presence of rightwing populism, ongoing conflicts in multiple regions, intolerable levels of inequality, and global economic volatility.

"The climate arsonists – the energy conglomerates – were finally in the focus at the climate summit," notes one environmental advocate. "There is no turning back on that. The platform is open. Now we must turn it into a genuine solution to a protected environment."

Significant divisions revealed

Even as nations were able to applaud the formal approval of the deal, Cop30 also revealed deep fissures in the sole international mechanism for addressing the climate crisis.

"UN negotiations are unanimity-required, and in a period of global disagreements, consensus is increasingly difficult to reach," commented one senior UN official. "We should not suggest that this summit has delivered everything that is needed. The gap between our current position and what evidence necessitates remains dangerously wide."

If the world is to prevent the worst ravages of climate crisis, the global discussions alone will not be nearly enough.