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Brazil’s climate chief, the minister, has urged every country to show the courage needed to address the imperative of a worldwide transition away from fossil fuels, describing the development of a roadmap as an “ethical” response to the climate crisis.

She emphasized, though, that participation in this process would be voluntary and “independently decided” for interested governments.

This issue remains one of the most debated matters at the UN climate summit in Brazil, with countries divided over if and in what way such a strategy can be discussed. Hosting the event, the nation has maintained a carefully neutral stance on which items can be placed on the official schedule.

Silva voiced support for the potential of a plan, though not directly committing Brazil to it. The minister remarked: “In times we have a situation that is quite grim, it is helpful that we have a guide. But the guide does not force us to proceed, or to advance.”

Speaking further, she noted: “The map is an response to our scientific knowledge [of the climate crisis]. It is an moral answer.”

Scores of nations meeting in Belém for the global climate conference, which is entering its second week, are aiming to establish how a worldwide phaseout of oil, gas, and coal could be implemented. They hope to advance a historic agreement reached two years ago at a previous UN summit to “transition away from non-renewable energy sources.”

That commitment lacked a schedule or details on how it could be achieved, and although it was passed unanimously, several nations have later tried to disavow the promise. Attempts last year to expand on its real-world implications were blocked by opposition from oil-dependent nations at COP29.

As a result, there was no mention of the transition away from fossil fuels in the final agreement of that conference.

Because of this, Brazil has been wary of demands by certain countries to place the phaseout on the schedule for the current summit. But the minister has strived behind the scenes to make sure the pledge could be discussed at the conference apart from the official program.

The minister convinced Brazil’s leader, who gave public reference three times to the need to “move away from dependence on fossil fuels” at the global leaders' meeting that came before the conference, and at the opening of the summit.

“This is a matter that we understand at some point had to be raised, because it is the only way to address the problem from the source,” Marina Silva explained. “We recognise that it is not easy, and we cannot sell unrealistic expectations. Raising the subject is brave, and I hope [to see] this courage from everyone, from producing nations and consumers.”

The nation had not initiated the push for a transition, she said, because that had been initiated at the earlier summit. Rather, it was allowing the talks to take place in line with what certain nations wished. “We know these subjects are delicate. We will provide the opportunity to talk about it,” she added.

There is not enough time at the summit to draw up a roadmap, a task Silva said could take a number of years because numerous nations faced complicated challenges around reliance on fossil fuels, or wanted to use the revenue from exporting oil and gas to fund their development.

“Brazil brings up the topic, because Brazil is both a producing nation and consumer,” she noted. “But the nation is unique, because it, if it chooses to, need not rely on fossil fuels. We have to recognise that there are some that depend on fossil fuels in their economies and don’t have easy solutions, and others where oil and gas are the basis of their economy.

“To be just is to be just to all, but the fundamental, basic fairness is not being unfair to the Earth, because it is our shared home.”

If the pledge gains enough support, COP30 could set up a platform in which the process of drawing up a strategy to the transition could start.

The process would require dialogue with all signatory countries to the UN climate treaty and guidelines for how the process would proceed, the minister explained. “Once we have criteria, a management framework can be drawn up; after we have a strategy, and establish safeguards to be able to build trust in the process, I believe that with these components we can turn good ideas into actions that are more defined, and more concrete.”

It is uncertain that a proposal to begin developing a roadmap would win approval at the conference, even if it may not need the formal approval of the summit, which operates by unanimous agreement and can be disrupted by special interests. COP analysts have suggested they think there could be backing for such a proposal from about sixty nations, but there are believed to be at least 40 against. A total of one hundred ninety-five countries represented at the talks.

“Despite being the primary source of global warming, carbon-based energy are about the most divisive topic there is within the international climate talks, so to see a sizable group of countries openly backing a path to achieving worldwide transition is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

“Put simply, there’s no path to a world where warming stays below 1.5 degrees in which countries aren’t able to discuss fossil fuel phaseout.”

“We need this language for real in this discussion. It’s highly illogical that we talk about all topics but that when fossil fuels are the real problem.”

Discussions carried on on Saturday on several unresolved issues that have still not been included into the formal schedule: commerce, transparency, finance and how to tackle the gap between the carbon reduction nations have proposed and those needed to hold to the 1.5-degree warming limit.

A summit president pledged a “note” that would cover these matters, after consultations – which have been going on since Monday – were unresolved. The official called on nations to adopt the “mutirão” spirit, referring to one of cooperation and constructive discussion.

Progress on other substantive issues – such as adjustment to the impacts of the climate emergency, the just transition for those impacted by the move to a low-carbon economy and how to build institutional capacity in less developed nations – carried on productively, the host said.

Brazil’s chief negotiator stated the detailed phase of the summit proceedings was nearing completion, and the high-level phase – when ministers who have the power to alter their nations' stances arrive – was beginning.