BELEM, Brazil,: Critical climate negotiations at the COP30 summit were thrown into disarray on Thursday after a fire broke out at the conference venue, forcing the evacuation of thousands of delegates. The incident occurred just as negotiators entered the final, high-stakes hours of the summit, imperiling an already precarious effort to forge a global agreement on climate action.
The blaze, which video footage showed erupting through the roof of a pavilion, sent smoke billowing through the halls shortly after lunchtime. Organizers reported that the fire was controlled within six minutes and was likely caused by a faulty microwave.
Thirteen people were treated for smoke inhalation, but no serious injuries were reported. The entire venue was shut down for safety assessments, with formal negotiations not expected to reconvene until Friday morning, less than 24 hours before the summit’s scheduled conclusion.
The disruption came at a moment of intense diplomatic pressure, with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urging nearly 200 participating nations to find common ground.
The talks are deadlocked on two contentious issues: the transition away from fossil fuels and the provision of climate finance to developing nations.A coalition of over 80 countries has been advocating for a clear roadmap to phase out fossil fuels, but this has met with strong resistance from some producer nations.
