Miliband says Cop30 was ‘step forward’ despite lack of explicit fossil fuel plan

Ed Miliband has insisted he sees climate talks at Cop30 in Brazil as a “step forward” despite the summit ending with a final deal that does not include an explicit road map to phase out fossil fuels.

Countries agreed to deliver more money to nations hit hardest by climate change to help them adapt after tough negotiations that extended past the Friday deadline.

But they failed to secure an explicit road map to phase out fossil fuels or strengthen countries’ inadequate emissions-cutting plans included in the main text agreement, despite demands from dozens of nations.

Energy Secretary Mr Miliband said he regrets that that could not be included but said he still sees the summit as a “step forward”.

He told the PA news agency: “I would have preferred a more ambitious agreement, including on the road map on the transition away from fossil fuels.

“Some key countries objected to that and said, ‘We don’t want to have that in the agreement’ and so it wasn’t possible to do that.

“Obviously I regret that, but overall, I do think it’s a step forward.

“And look, these Cop processes are sweaty, frustrating, not to say nightmarish.

“There were times last night when I thought we were heading for a no-deal scenario, from the point of view of the UK, that just wasn’t good enough.

“But we do have an agreement.”

Mr Miliband said such summits have to be viewed in “the sweep of history” and that much progress has been made over the years, including on countries setting net zero targets.

He added: “So look, it’s not pretty, the making of the sausage, not a pretty process.

“193 countries all with different interests, but it’s the best process we’ve got, because countries have to represent their interests – these are fundamental issues that the countries are grappling with.”

The Brazilian hosts of the conference said they had eventually come up with a road map to get away from fossil fuels by working with hardline Colombia, but it will not have the same force as something approved by the United Nations conference.

The Green Party said the deal falls “way short” of what is needed.

Ellie Chowns, Green MP for North Herefordshire, said: “Today’s deal falls way short of what this moment demands – morally, economically, environmentally and scientifically.

“Burning the fossil fuels to which we already have access will result in breaching the 1.5 degrees of warming limit in the Paris Agreement so it’s deeply shocking that world leaders have squandered this critical opportunity to end the fossil fuel era.”