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Brazil’s climate chief, Marina Silva, has called on all nations to show the courage needed to confront the necessity of a worldwide transition away from fossil fuels, labeling the creation of a detailed plan as an “moral” answer to the global warming emergency.

The minister stressed, though, that involvement in this endeavor would be voluntary and “independently decided” for interested nations.

The topic remains one of the most contentious subjects at the UN climate summit in Brazil, with nations split over if and in what way such a strategy can be discussed. As the host, the nation has adopted a balanced stance on what can be included on the official schedule.

The official expressed support for the potential of a roadmap, without explicitly pledging Brazil to it. The minister stated: “When we have a situation that is quite grim, it is helpful that we have a map. But the map does not compel us to travel, or to advance.”

In an interview, the minister added: “The map is an answer to our scientific understanding [of the climate crisis]. It is an ethical answer.”

Scores of nations gathered in Belém for the UN climate summit, which is starting its next phase, are seeking to establish how a worldwide phaseout of fossil fuels could work. These nations hope to advance a historic agreement reached two years ago at a previous UN summit to “transition away from fossil fuels.”

That pledge lacked a timetable or specifics on the way it could be realized, and even though it was adopted unanimously, some nations have later attempted to disavow the pledge. Attempts last year to elaborate on its real-world implications were stymied by resistance 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 COP29.

Because of this, Brazil has been cautious of calls by certain countries to include the phaseout on the agenda for COP30. But Silva has worked hard behind the scenes to make sure the pledge could be discussed at the summit apart from the official agenda.

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

“This is something that we know at a certain time had to be raised, because it is the sole way to address the problem from the source,” Marina Silva said. “We recognise that it is not easy, and we must not sell false hopes. Bringing up the subject is brave, and I wish [to see] this courage from everyone, from producers and using countries.”

Brazil had not started the push for a phaseout, the minister clarified, because that had been initiated at COP28. Rather, it was allowing the talks to occur in accordance with what some nations desired. “We know these subjects are delicate. We will give the opportunity to talk about it,” the minister added.

Time is insufficient at the summit to create a roadmap, a process the minister said could take several years because many nations faced complex issues around reliance on carbon-based energy, or aimed to use the proceeds from exporting fossil fuels to fund their economic growth.

“The country brings up the topic, because it is both a producer and user,” the minister said. “But Brazil is different, because it, if it chooses to, need not depend on non-renewables. We have to understand that there are some that depend on fossil fuels in their economies and lack easy alternatives, and others where fossil fuels are the basis of their economic structure.

“To be fair is to be just to everyone, but the essential, primordial justice is not being unjust to the planet, because it is our shared home.”

If the pledge receives sufficient support, COP30 could set up a platform in which the work of creating a strategy to the phaseout could start.

The process would involve dialogue with all signatory nations to the UN framework convention on climate change and guidelines for how the process would unfold, Silva explained. “After we have standards, a management framework can be developed; after we have a plan, and establish protections to be able to build trust in the system, I am confident that with these components we can transform positive concepts into actions that are more defined, and more tangible.”

There is no guarantee that a proposal to start drawing up a plan would be accepted at COP30, although it may not need the official consent of the summit, which proceeds by consensus and can be disrupted by particular groups. COP analysts have indicated they think there could be support for such a proposal from about 60 countries, but there are thought to be at least 40 against. There are 195 nations represented at the talks.

“In spite of being the root cause of global warming, fossil fuels are about the most divisive topic there is within the UN negotiations, so to see a chunky coalition of nations publicly backing a route to achieving worldwide phaseout is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

“In simple terms, there’s no path to a world where temperature rise remains below 1.5C in which countries aren’t able to discuss fossil fuel phaseout.”

“We require this wording for actual in this conversation. It’s quite stupid that we discuss everything but then when the main issue are the actual problem.”

Discussions carried on on the weekend on several outstanding topics that have still not been included into the official agenda: trade, openness, finance and how to tackle the gap between the carbon reduction countries have planned and those needed to keep to the 1.5C temperature limit.

A COP30 chair pledged a “document” that would address these issues, after consultations – which have been underway since Monday – were unresolved. He urged countries to embrace the “mutirão” spirit, referring to one of cooperation and positive discussion.

Progress on additional key issues – including adjustment to the effects of the climate emergency, the just transition for those affected by the transition to a green economy and how to build institutional capacity in developing countries – proceeded constructively, the host reported.

The host nation's chief negotiator said the technical part of the summit process was approaching the end, and the high-level stage – when government leaders who have the authority to change their nations' stances join – was beginning.