COP30: Saudi Arabia Raises the Stakes

A deadlock over climate financing, led by Saudi Arabia, has forced a key decision at COP30 the UN climate conference to be postponed. The outcome of the consultations, originally expected this Wednesday (12), will now be presented only on Saturday (15), extending talks by two more days. The main obstacle in the negotiations is the resistance of wealthy nations to meet the demands of poorer countries for greater funding. Saudi Arabia is leading the group of nations dissatisfied with the direction of the discussions. The postponed decision was meant to advance four agenda items, including financing for developing countries and the response to the NDCs (emission reduction targets) crisis. Ambassador Andre Correa do Lago, president of COP30, acknowledged that there are disagreements on complex issues, such as developing countries questioning the actions of developed nations. COP30 CEO Ana Toni explained that several delegations including some African and Arab countries requested more time to consult their governments on possible convergence points. Despite the delay, the working atmosphere has been described as "very positive," with delegations deepening their dialogue.