Sweden Criticizes COP30 Draft for Lack of Fossil Fuel Phase-Out, Highlights Key Negotiation Challenges

At the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, Sweden's delegation has strongly condemned the draft agreement proposed by the Brazilian presidency, citing its failure to mention the critical issue of phasing out fossil fuels. The draft text notably omits key terms such as 'fossil', 'oil', and 'coal', drawing sharp criticism from Sweden and other nations. Helena Dyrssén, Sweden's Secretary of State and negotiator at COP30, described the delegation's stance as "very critical and very combative," expressing dissatisfaction with the document's lack of ambition on emission reductions.

The dissatisfaction extends beyond Sweden, as more than 30 countries have signed a protest against the proposal. Despite this, Dyrssén remains hopeful as the negotiations are expected to continue over the coming days.

The European Union, representing Sweden in these talks, also finds the draft agreement insufficient, particularly due to its heavy focus on climate financing at the expense of concrete emission reduction measures. Mattias Frumerie, Sweden's chief negotiator, emphasized that the draft lacks a credible plan for phasing out fossil fuels and does not adequately push forward national climate action commitments, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Five critical points remain unresolved in the negotiations: the absence of a fossil fuel phase-out roadmap (despite backing from over 80 countries), inadequate climate adaptation financing that aims to triple current funds to $40 billion annually by 2030, disputes over measuring adaptation progress, the need for stronger NDCs aligned with the Paris Agreement, and fulfilling an overall climate financing target of $1.3 trillion annually by 2035.

Critics like Romain Loualalen from Oil Change International highlight a major impasse: the EU's reluctance to offer sufficient financial support to poorer nations remains a significant barrier to consensus. Many developing countries have expressed concerns not about the principle of phasing out fossil fuels, but about the economic challenges of transitioning their energy systems. Swedish negotiators maintain that resistance is mostly limited to a few countries underlining the complexity of balancing climate ambition with economic realities.

Brazil's introduction of the Tropical Forests Forever Fund aims to incentivize tropical forest conservation through private investments, though this proposal has also faced skepticism on its effectiveness.

As the summit progresses, Sweden continues to push for a more ambitious and comprehensive agreement that includes concrete commitments to phase out fossil fuels and adequate climate financing mechanisms to support vulnerable countries in their transition efforts.