(MENAFN- Live Mint) A fire broke out Thursday (November 20) in the pavilion area of the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, prompting the evacuation of several buildings with just two days left in the high-stakes negotiations.

Officials said the blaze, which erupted in a section hosting sideline events, was quickly brought under control and no injuries were reported.

Fire authorities, however, ordered a full site evacuation for safety checks, delaying conference proceedings.

UN Chief urges compromise

Hours before the disruption, UN Secretary-General António Guterres pressed delegates to reach a deal despite slow progress.“We are down to the wire and the world is watching Belém,” he warned, urging negotiators to“show willingness and flexibility to deliver results.” He reminded countries that frontline communities facing“flooded homes, failed harvests [and] lost livelihoods” expect concrete action, not excuses.

Tense negotiations on fossil fuels and finance

Talks have struggled to advance on contentious issues, including how aggressively countries should phase out fossil fuels and how much financial support wealthy nations should provide to vulnerable countries.

Guterres said he was“perfectly convinced” compromise was still possible and rejected the idea that failing to adopt the strongest measures would constitute failure.

He renewed calls for richer nations to triple annual adaptation finance from $40 billion to $120 billion, urging them to back vulnerable nations facing intensifying floods, droughts and extreme heat.

Message for United States

Responding to a question about US President Donald Trump - who withdrew the US from global climate talks - Guterres said:“We are waiting for you.” When asked if Trump might soften his climate stance, he replied with a smile:“Hope is the last thing that dies.”

Pressure from climate-vulnerable countries

Delegates from disaster-hit nations delivered emotional appeals earlier in the week for world leaders to move beyond rhetoric.“No delegation will leave Belém with everything it wants, but every delegation has a duty to reach a balanced deal,” Guterres said, stressing that“every country, especially the big emitters, must do more.”

Key issues still unresolved

COP30 President André Corrêa do Lago had set a Wednesday deadline for progress on four connected issues left off the formal agenda - climate finance, stronger national climate plans, climate-related trade measures and transparency rules. No agreement was reached by the cutoff.

More than 80 countries are pushing for a detailed“road map” to transition away from fossil fuels, expanding on the broad but vague deal agreed in Dubai two years ago. While Guterres referenced this agreement, he stopped short of endorsing a detailed phase-out plan - a key demand also voiced by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The conference is scheduled to conclude Friday, though COP summits often extend beyond their official deadlines as negotiators try to bridge deep divides.

With AP inputs)

MENAFN20112025007365015876ID1110375956