COP30 Belém Sustainable Fuels Pledge

Sustainable fuels – including liquid biofuels, biogases, low-emissions hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels – offer multiple benefits for the energy sector. They complement electrification and energy efficiency in energy transitions and are particularly important for sectors that continue to rely on fuel-based solutions such as aviation, shipping, and parts of road transport and industry. Sustainable fuels can also enhance energy security, strengthen environmental sustainability and stimulate economic development, especially in rural areas.

Given the need to rapidly scale up these fuels, the governments of Brazil, India, Italy and Japan jointly launched the Belém 4X Pledge on Sustainable Fuels at a pre-COP event in Brasília on 14 October 2025 to advance international action towards this goal. As of late September 2026, 32 countries had endorsed the Pledge.

The Pledge is underpinned by IEA analysis as set out in the report Delivering Sustainable Fuels. The report concludes that, if fully legislated and implemented, current and proposed national and international policies would put the use of sustainable liquid and gaseous fuels on a path to nearly double from 2024 levels by 2030 and quadruple by 2035.

This report was prepared at the request of the Brazilian COP30 Presidency for presentation at COP31 in November 2026 and tracks the progress of the Belém 4X Pledge on Sustainable Fuels in its first year.