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BELEM, Brazil — The COP30 climate summit has drawn to a close after two weeks in the Amazonian city of Belem where protests, street marches and even a fire caused unexpected moments of drama.

But beneath enormous tents erected over a former airport at the edge of the rainforest, nations also adopted some decisions on how to battle climate change.

Here are the main negotiated outcomes, and the voluntary commitments, made during the summit attended by nearly 200 nations:

READ: UN deal increases money to countries hit by climate change

Fossil fuels

The thorniest issues were bundled into a “mutirao” pact — the summit’s slogan, drawn from the Tupi-Guarani word for “collective effort.”

The agreement included an initiative for countries to collaborate on a voluntary basis to reduce carbon emissions and strive to limit global warming to 1.5C relative to pre-industrial levels.

It also noted a commitment made by all nations at COP28 in Dubai to “transition away from fossil fuels” — but this exact phrase, which has become politically sensitive, was not included.

Despite pressure from more than 80 nations from Europe to Latin American to the Pacific, the conference did not adopt a “roadmap” to phase out fossil fuels.

Instead, COP30 president Andre Correa do Lago offered to create one for countries willing to join on a voluntary basis, and another plan to halt deforestation.

Finance

The world’s poorest nations have long complained they lack the finance for “adaptation” — measures to protect their economies from rising seas, such as building sea walls, and other impacts of climate change.

In a win for developing countries at COP30, the final agreement “calls for efforts to at least triple adaptation finance by 2035.”

In 2024, rich countries agreed to provide $300 billion a year by 2035 in climate finance to developing nations, with no specific amount earmarked for adaptation.

Most of that goes to projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as renewable energy, and not to adaptation — something developing nations have long complained puts them at a disadvantage.

The “tripling” goal agreed in Belem could mean $120 billion from that $300 billion is earmarked for adaptation, but close observers said clarity was still needed around that target.

Trade

For the first time, trade has been included as a pillar of the final text, with a three-year dialogue to take place under the climate framework.

This reflected concerns from countries including China that trade measures — like taxes on carbon-intensive goods — could erode export revenues or throw up barriers to green technology sales.

Forests

At COP30, Brazil launched a new global investment vehicle that proposes paying out a share of profits to forest-rich countries for every hectare of trees they leave standing.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced during a leaders’ summit in Belem last week — even before COP30 officially started — the launch of the Tropical Forests Forever Facility.

The TFFF attracted $5.5 billion in pledges from Norway, Germany, Indonesia, France and Brazil — the biggest contributors.

Ultimately, Brazil is seeking to raise $125 billion in public and private investment, but said the fund could start working even without the full $25 billion in startup capital from governments.

Methane pledges

Slashing methane emissions — the second-largest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide — is considered one of the fastest ways to curb global warming.

Although it remains in the atmosphere for about 12 years, the “super pollutant” is roughly 80 times more potent than CO2 over a 20-year period.

At COP30, seven countries — Britain, France, Canada, Germany, Norway, Japan and Kazakhstan — signed a statement vowing to achieve “near zero” methane emissions across the fossil fuel sector.

Yassi Pressman has nothing but pride for her younger sister Issa for allowing herself to be open about her vulnerability, after the latter spoke about her battle with depression in a recent interview.

Issa made headlines after openly discussing her battle with depression, anxiety, and self-harm in an interview with Karen Davila earlier this month. She also spoke about how her relationship with James Reid and closeness with Yassi were her biggest sources of strength.

“She is one of the reasons why I’m still alive. I’m so proud of her, sobra. As in,” an emotional Yassi said at a junket for “Roja” when asked about her younger sister’s interview with Davila. “I think it took a lot of time for her to be that vulnerable and strong. And she eventually talked about it.”

Yassi said Issa’s “bravery” to discuss her mental health battles is a reminder that people go through “silent battles” which would lead into “generational trauma.”

“Sana ma-pick up ng mga tao is how difficult times are when people are quiet and their silent battles. For me, I’m so proud of her for her bravery and how she grew up [from it],” she said. “Merong kang choice na mapuno ang puso mo ng galit at poot, at hinanakit forever. And that gives us generational trauma. But she had the bravery to cut it out.”

In Yassi’s eyes, Issa has “a beautiful light” and is brave enough to say she is “still growing.” The actress also confessed that she couldn’t live without her younger sister.

“She was brave to say that she is still growing… and she just has such a beautiful light. Hindi ko kayang mabuhay nang wala siya. Sana hindi mamatay ‘yung brightness and ilaw na meron siya. Once you get to know her, she’s such a beautiful person,” she said.

‘Misunderstood’ Issa

As an ate, Yassi is aware of what Issa had been through. This is why she hoped that the public would see her “sweet heart” and how she always remained kind to others.

“I know most of the things she has been through, of course. I tried to always be there. What I love about her is that she is always kind to others. She has the sweetest heart. And when she connects with you, she just wants to give. Sobrang bait talaga siya. Kahit minsan [tinatanong] ko siya kung gusto niya pang lumaban,” she said.

As much as Yassi believes that Issa is “misunderstood,” she found peace in the fact that she can’t keep explaining herself to other people.

“She is misunderstood. But to be honest, you really can’t keep explaining yourself sa ibang tao. Para sa’kin, as long as sinasabi mo katotohanan and after that, kayo na lang. I think it’s important that people know that bullying people for fun is not okay. It’s not,” she said. “Kapag sa totoong buhay, if a kid gets bullied, anong gagawin natin? She has my support.”

While Yassi and Issa entered the entertainment industry as an actress and singer, respectively, they were never insecure about each other.

“There’s not an inch of insecurity sa’ming dalawa magkapatid,” she said. “She has always supported me since Day 1. Ang gusto lang niya [is we will always be there for each other] as a friend.”

Yassi marked her Kapamilya comeback with “Roja,” an action drama that also starred Donny Pangilinan, Kyle Echarri, and Maymay Entrata. 

She was also one of the lead stars of the 2025 horror film “Isolated.”

Tonyboy Liao ushers in a new era in the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) after being elected president of the national federation.

And his first important task will be to restore order to the Alas Pilipinas program after the women’s team continues to cram in its preparation for the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Thailand next month.

Liao succeeded former president Tats Suzara after the PNVF elections and general assembly on Friday.

Dr. Arnel Hajan was appointed chairman. Yul Benosa was named vice president and Otie Camangian was named secretary general. Ricky Palou will serve as treasurer, while Roger Banzuela will be the federation’s auditor. The other board members are Charo Soriano, Fr. Vic Calvo, Michael Angelo Vargas, Sherwin Maganda, Danilo Cong-o, Edward Lee and Ma. Socorro Calleja.

Liao said the federation has already submitted a 14-strong final lineup in time for the September deadline.

But there are still questions as to whether that lineup will get enough preparation time after reports that the national squad hasn’t had a complete practice yet and that there have been days when as few as two players would train.

Liao named former national team captain Jia De Guzman, Angel Canino, Shaina Nitura, Eya Laure, Vanie Gandler, Bella Belen, Dell Palomata, Alleiah Malaluan, Leila Cruz and Dawn Macandili-Catindig as among those in the roster.

Even Brooke Van Sickle was part of that submitted list despite her ongoing transfer of federation process from USA Volleyball to PNVF.

Despite electing a new set of board members from 2025 to 2028, Liao said that they will discuss the upcoming SEA Games campaign of their national teams with the outgoing officials.

“They started it. It just so happened that we had elections,” Liao said in Filipino. “So we have to represent the PNVF.”

“We need to talk with them. What do we do now? We’re in charge. Of course, there will be a discussion—are we still going to run this, or will you? We’ll know once we talk.”

“We can’t just ask them to leave and say we’ll take care of things from here. They put the program together [and] … we will talk to them [to see] if they want to talk with us [then] we’ll discuss this.”

BELEM, Brazil — United Nations climate talks in Brazil reached a subdued agreement Saturday that pledged more funding for countries to adapt to extreme weather’s wrath. But the catch-all agreement doesn’t include explicit details to phase out fossil fuels or strengthen countries’ inadequate emissions-cutting plans, which dozens of nations demanded.

The Brazilian hosts of the conference said they’d eventually come up with a road map to get away from fossil fuels working with hard-line Colombia, but it won’t have the same force as something approved at the United Nations conference called COP30. Colombia responded angrily to the deal after it was approved, citing the absence of wording on fossil fuels.

The deal, which was approved after negotiators blew past a Friday deadline to wrap up, was crafted after more than 12 hours of late night and early morning meetings in COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago’s office.

READ: Fire stalls final stretch of COP30 climate talks

Do Lago said the tough discussions started in Belem will continue under Brazil’s leadership until the next annual conference “even if they are not reflected in this text we just approved.” Do Lago has said a fossil fuel transition plan will be in a separate proposal issued later by his team.

Deal gets mix of lukewarm praise and complaints

Many gave the overall deal lukewarm praise as the best that could be achieved in trying times, while others complained about the package or the process that led to its approval.

“Given the circumstances of geopolitics today, we’re actually quite pleased with the bounds of the package that came out,” said Palau Ambassador Ilana Seid, who chaired the coalition of small island nations. “The alternative is that we don’t get a decision and that would have been a worse alternative.”

“This deal isn’t perfect and is far from what science requires,” said former Ireland President Mary Robinson, a fierce climate advocate for the ex-leaders group The Elders. “But at a time when multilateralism is being tested, it is significant that countries continue to move forward together.”

Some countries said they got enough out of the deal.

“COP30 has not delivered everything Africa asked for, but it has moved the needle,” said Jiwoh Abdulai, Sierra Leone’s environment minister. What really matters, he said, is “how quickly these words turn into real projects that protect lives and livelihoods.”

U.K. Energy Minister Ed Miliband said the agreement was “an important step forward,” but that he would have preferred it to be “more ambitious.” He added: “These are difficult, strenuous, tiring, frustrating negotiations.”

Swift final push prompts complaints

The deal was approved minutes into a plenary meeting open Saturday to all nations that were present.

After the main package was approved and gaveled in by do Lago — to applause by many delegates — angry nation after angry nation took the floor to complain about other parts of the package and about being ignored as do Lago as moved quickly toward approval. The objections were so strong and uniform that do Lago temporarily halted the session for more talk to try to calm things down.

Colombia’s Daniela Duran Gonzalez objected to sections on helping nations cut emissions and reaching worldwide temperature limits that were previously agreed upon. She blasted the conference’s president for ignoring her, saying: “The COP of the truth cannot support an outcome that ignores science.”

One of the areas that usually gets less attention became a big point of contention after a text was approved. The gaveled-in deal established 59 indicators for the world to judge how well nations are adapting to future climate change. Before the Belem conference, experts crafted 100 precisely worded indicators, but negotiators changed the wording and cut the total.

Country after country – including Panama, Uruguay, and Canada – said they had severe problems with it, calling it unclear and unworkable. They complained that they tried to object, raising flags to be noticed so they can speak, but were ignored.

Do Lago said he was sorry he didn’t see the flags.

How major issues were handled

A handful of major issues dominated the talk. Those included coming up with a road map to wean the world from fossil fuels, telling countries that their national plans to curb emissions were inadequate, tripling financial aid for developing nations to adapt to extreme weather and reducing climate restrictions on trade.

“COP30 gave us some baby steps in the right direction, but considering the scale of the climate crisis, it has failed to rise to the occasion,” said Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa.

Even though most nations proclaimed themselves somewhat but not wholly satisfied with the major package, critics complained there was not much to the deal.

“It’s a weak outcome,” said former Philippine negotiator Jasper Inventor, now at Greenpeace International. “Strip away the outcome text and you see it plainly: the emperor has no clothes.”

Panama negotiator Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez railed against the deal.

“A climate decision that cannot even say ‘fossil fuels’ is not neutrality, it is complicity. And what is happening here transcends incompetence,” Monterrey Gomez said. “Science has been deleted from COP30 because it offends the polluters.”

Many nations and advocates wanted something stronger because the world will not come close to limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since the mid 1800s, which was the goal the 2015 Paris agreement set.

The financial aid for adapting to climate change was tripled to a goal of $120 billion a year, but the goal was pushed back five years. It was one of several tough issues to dominate the late stage of talks. Vulnerable nations have pressed the wealthier countries most responsible for climate change to help out with money to rebuild from damaging extreme weather and to adapt to more of it in the future.

“COP30 was a failure for the communities on the front lines of the climate crisis,” said the disaster charity Mercy Corps’ policy lead Debbie Hillier. “While the COP30 outcome includes a new commitment on adaptation finance, it is deeply disappointing. It includes no baseline year, no clarity on the actual target, and no mechanism defining who is responsible for delivering the tripling.”

Pushing back the goal leaves “vulnerable countries without support to match the escalating needs,” Adow said.