Fire at COP30 forces mass evacuation and halts climate negotiations

20 November 2025 , 22:33

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Fire at COP30 forces mass evacuation and halts climate negotiations

A massive fire during discussions at the COP30 climate summit halted negotiations for a greener future.

Thousands of attendees evacuated the area after the fire broke out at one of the exhibition pavilions in Belem, Brazil, on Thursday.

Authorities reported that the fire was under control with no injuries reported.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier in the day urged for an agreement from the summit, welcoming calls from some for clarity on the heavily debated topic of moving the world away from fossil fuels.

Brazil’s tourism minister Celso Sabino said he did not know when delegates could return. Representatives from two separate negotiating teams, including the bloc representing small island states, said they left the site awaiting instructions on when they could come back.

The summit in the Amazon city of Belem, Brazil, had already missed a self-imposed Wednesday deadline to reach an agreement among nearly 200 countries present on topics such as how to increase climate finance and transition away from fossil fuels.

Emissions from burning fossil fuels trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and are by far the largest contributor to global warming.

There are less than 48 hours remaining until the scheduled end of the summit to reach a consensus, which host nation Brazil has characterized as a crucial step to intensifying international climate action and proving that there is widespread support to transform decades of promises and commitments from the COP summits into tangible actions.

‘One thing is clear, we are down to the wire, and the world is watching Belem,’ Guterres said.

James Smith

Editor-in-Chief