COP30: Consensus on key issues eludes negotiators

“Has there been a COP without cover text? Who knows if this will be the one?” asked a developing country negotiator. The COP30 presidency had made clear earlier it would not push for a cover text unless parties drove the process, though negotiators said there may still be a show of multilateralism befitting the summit’s spirit. Three major disputes have divided developing and developed country blocs: a nationally determined roadmap on fossil fuel phaseout; Article 9.1, a legal obligation requiring developed countries to provide financial resources to developing nations for climate mitigation and adaptation; and a way to address the…