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While dawn crept over the Amazonian city of Belém on Saturday morning, delegates remained trapped in a enclosed conference room, uncertain whether it was day or night. For more than 12 hours in tense discussions, with dozens ministers representing 17 groups of countries including the most vulnerable nations to the richest economies.

Frustration mounted, the air heavy as exhausted delegates confronted the grim reality: there would not be a comprehensive agreement in Brazil. The 30th UN climate conference hovered near the brink of total collapse.

The central impasse: Fossil fuels

As science has told us for nearly a century, the CO2 emissions produced by burning fossil fuels is increasing temperatures on our planet to dangerous levels.

However, during over three decades of yearly climate meetings, the urgent need to cease fossil fuel use has been addressed only once – in a resolution made two years ago at the Dubai climate summit to "transition away from fossil fuels". Officials from the Middle Eastern nations, 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 equally determined that progress on this issue was urgently necessary. They had developed a proposal that was gathering expanding support and made it evident they were ready to dig in.

Less wealthy nations strongly sought to advance on securing funding support to help them manage the growing impacts of climate disasters.

Critical moment

In the pre-dawn period of Saturday, some delegates were willing to withdraw and cause breakdown. "The situation was precarious for us," commented one national delegate. "I considered to walk away."

The critical development came through talks with Saudi Arabia. Shortly after 6am, principal delegates separated from the main group to hold a closed-door meeting with the head Saudi negotiator. They urged text that would subtly reference the global commitment to "shift from fossil fuels" made two years earlier in Dubai.

Unanticipated resolution

As opposed to explicitly namechecking fossil fuels, the text would refer to "the Dubai agreement". Upon deliberation, the Saudi delegation unforeseeably approved the wording.

The room collapsed into relief. Cheers erupted. The settlement was finalized.

With what became known as the "Amazon accord", the world took a modest advance towards the phaseout of fossil fuels – a uncertain, insufficient step that will minimally impact the climate's ongoing trajectory towards crisis. But nevertheless a notable change from complete stagnation.

Key elements of the agreement

• In addition to the oblique commitment in the official document, countries will commence creating a plan to systematically reduce fossil fuels
• This will be mostly a non-binding program led by Brazil that will deliver findings next year
• Addressing the required reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to not exceed the 1.5C limit was also put off to next year
• Developing countries secured a significant expansion to $120bn of yearly funding to help them manage the impacts of environmental crises
• This sum will not be delivered in full until 2035
• Workers will benefit from a "just transition mechanism" to help people working in polluting businesses move toward the clean economy

Mixed reactions

As the world approaches the brink of climate "tipping points" that could devastate environments and force whole regions into disorder, the agreement was far from the "giant leap" needed.

"Negotiators delivered some modest progress in the right direction, but given the severity of the climate crisis, it has not met the occasion," stated one climate expert.

This flawed deal might have been the best attainable, given the political challenges – including a American leader who shunned the talks and remains committed to oil and coal, the growing influence of nationalist politics, continuing wars in different locations, extreme measures of inequality, and global economic uncertainty.

"Fossil fuel corporations – the fossil fuel giants – were ultimately in the crosshairs at Cop30," notes one policy convener. "We have crossed a threshold on that. The opportunity is open. Now we must transform it into a genuine solution to a more secure planet."

Significant divisions revealed

Although nations were able to applaud the gavelling through of the deal, Cop30 also highlighted deep fissures in the only global process for tackling the climate crisis.

"Climate conferences are consensus-based, and in a era of global disagreements, unanimity is progressively challenging to reach," commented one global leader. "I cannot pretend that this summit has delivered everything that is needed. The difference between where we are and what science demands remains concerningly substantial."

Should the world is to avert the gravest consequences of climate breakdown, the international negotiations alone will not be nearly enough.