Brazil pushes for early COP30 climate deal

BELEM, Nov 19 (Reuters): Brazil said on Tuesday it still expects to land a deal on some of the most contentious issues at the COP30 climate summit ahead of schedule, but conceded there were still wide gaps between countries on issues like fossil fuels.

The two-week summit in the Amazon city of Belem has brought together governments from across the world to strengthen the complex U.N. framework underpinning global action to halt rising greenhouse gas emissions and cope with the damage caused by warming temperatures.

Host nation Brazil wants a deal agreed in two stages: one package on Wednesday, including subjects like cutting fossil fuel use and delivering promised climate finance that were a week ago deemed too thorny to even include on the formal agenda, and another wrapping up any outstanding issues by Friday.

Confirming that negotiators would work late into the night for the second day in a row, COP30 President Andre Correa do Lago said he still expected the first deal to be approved on Wednesday, but that it could be "very late".