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The environment minister, the minister, has urged every country to demonstrate the courage needed to confront the imperative of a global fossil fuel phaseout, labeling the development of a roadmap as an “moral” answer to the climate crisis.

The minister emphasized, however, that participation in this endeavor would be voluntary and “self-determined” for willing nations.

The topic remains one of the most debated matters at the COP30 in Brazil, with countries split over whether and how such a roadmap can be addressed. Hosting the event, Brazil has maintained a carefully neutral stance on what can be placed on the official schedule.

Silva voiced approval for the possibility of a roadmap, though not directly committing the country to it. The minister stated: “When we have a terrain that is very challenging, it is good that we have a map. But the guide does not compel us to travel, or to advance.”

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

Dozens of nations gathered in the host city for the UN climate summit, which is entering its second week, are aiming to determine how a worldwide transition of fossil fuels could be implemented. These nations hope to build on a historic resolution made two years ago at COP28 to “transition away from non-renewable energy sources.”

That pledge had no a schedule or details on how it could be achieved, and even though it was passed by all, several nations have later attempted to back away from the promise. Attempts last year to expand on its practical meaning were stymied by opposition from petrostates at another UN summit.

As a result, there was no mention of the shift away from fossil fuels in the outcome of COP29.

Because of this, Brazil has been cautious of calls by certain nations to include the phaseout on the schedule for the current summit. But the minister has strived behind the scenes to ensure the topic could be talked about at the conference outside the official program.

The minister won over the nation's president, who gave public reference repeatedly to the need to “shift from reliance on traditional energy” at the global leaders' meeting that preceded the conference, and at the start of the summit.

“This is a matter that we understand at a certain time had to be put forward, because it is the only way to address the problem from the source,” the minister explained. “We recognise that it is challenging, and we cannot offer unrealistic expectations. Raising the subject is courageous, and I hope [to see] this courage from everyone, from producing nations and consumers.”

The nation had not started the call for a phaseout, the minister said, because that had been initiated at COP28. Rather, it was allowing the talks to occur in line with what some nations wished. “We understand these subjects are delicate. We will give the chance to discuss it,” she said.

There is not enough time at the summit to draw up a roadmap, a process the minister said could take several years because many nations confronted complicated issues around dependence on carbon-based energy, or aimed to use the revenue from selling fossil fuels to finance their economic growth.

“Brazil brings up the subject, because Brazil is simultaneously a producer and user,” she noted. “But Brazil is unique, because Brazil, if it wants to, does not have to depend on fossil fuels. We have to recognise that there are certain nations that depend on fossil fuels in their economies and lack simple alternatives, and some where oil and gas are the basis of their economic structure.

“To be fair is to be just to all, but the fundamental, basic fairness is to avoid being unfair to the planet, because it is our shared home.”

Should the pledge receives enough support, COP30 could set up a platform in which the work of creating a strategy to the transition could start.

This process would require dialogue with all signatory nations to the UN framework convention on climate change and criteria for how the process would proceed, the minister said. “Once we have standards, a management framework can be drawn up; after we have a plan, and create protections to be able to establish trust in the process, I am confident that with these components we can turn positive concepts into actions that are more defined, and more concrete.”

It is uncertain that a proposal to begin drawing up a plan would win approval at the conference, even if it does not require the formal consent of the conference, which operates by unanimous agreement and can be disrupted by particular groups. Climate analysts have indicated they believe there could be support for such a idea from about sixty nations, but there are believed to be at least 40 against. A total of 195 nations represented at the talks.

“In spite of being the primary source of climate change, fossil fuels are about the most contentious subject there is within the international climate talks, so to see a sizable group of nations publicly backing a path to achieving global phaseout is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

“In simple terms, there’s no route to a world where warming stays below 1.5 degrees in which nations cannot to discuss ending fossil fuel use.”

“We require this language for real in this discussion. It’s quite stupid that we discuss everything but then when the main issue are the actual challenge.”

Negotiations carried on on the weekend on several unresolved topics that have still not been included into the official agenda: commerce, transparency, funding and how to address the shortfall between the carbon reduction nations have proposed and those required to hold to the 1.5C warming target.

A summit chair pledged a “document” that would cover these matters, after consultations – which have been going on since Monday – were unresolved. The official called on nations to embrace the “mutirão” spirit, referring to one of collaboration and positive discussion.

Work on additional key issues – such as adjustment to the impacts of the climate emergency, the fair shift for those affected by the transition to a low-carbon economy and how to build institutional capacity in less developed nations – carried on constructively, the host said.

The host nation's lead representative stated the detailed part of the COP process was approaching the end, and the high-level stage – when government leaders who have the power to alter their nations' positions join – was starting.