Brazil urges nations to seal key climate deals as COP30 enters final stretch

Brazil, the host of COP30, has moved the UN climate conference into a sharper, more urgent phase by sending a direct letter to participating nations late on Monday, 17 November, asking them to resolve major points of contention before ministers deliver high-level speeches on Tuesday.

The letter arrives at a pivotal moment in what has been billed as a landmark summit—the first ever held in the Amazon rainforest, whose vast canopy plays a critical role in absorbing planet-warming carbon dioxide. With the conference scheduled to close on Friday, 21 November, Brazil is pushing negotiators to settle many parts of a potential agreement by Tuesday night, 18 November, to leave room for final political decisions later in the week.

Climate summits routinely extend beyond their final day as countries weigh domestic pressures against global climate imperatives.

Top officials addressing the summit on Tuesday include UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Sophie Hermans, alongside leaders from small island and developing states such as Barbados and Bangladesh, both battling land loss driven by rising seas.

Brazil’s COP30 president André Corrêa do Lago said the letter reflects the need for “important concessions from all sides”, signalling long negotiating nights ahead as countries attempt to bridge gaps on issues ranging from a fossil fuel phase-down to financing for clean energy transitions.

Analysts say expectations are high for a strong outcome.

Alden Meyer of climate think tank E3G called Brazil’s Wednesday negotiation deadline “pretty ambitious”, noting that the real test for the presidency will be whether talks deliver benefits that matter to ordinary citizens—cleaner air, affordable energy and climate resilience—rather than “sub-paragraphs in a legal decision”.

He added that Brazil’s optimism is “starting to get a little infectious”, helping build trust among nations. Former German climate envoy Jennifer Morgan echoed the sentiment, saying she sensed “ambition” and “determination” among delegations as the conference enters its final stretch.