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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, describing the development of a roadmap as an “moral” answer to the global warming emergency.

She emphasized, however, that involvement in this endeavor would be optional and “independently decided” for interested governments.

The topic remains one of the most contentious matters at the UN climate summit in the host country, with nations divided over if and how such a strategy can be addressed. As the host, the nation has maintained a carefully neutral stance on which items can be included on the official schedule.

The official voiced approval for the possibility of a roadmap, though not directly committing Brazil to it. The minister remarked: “When we have a situation that is quite grim, it is helpful that we have a guide. But the guide does not compel us to proceed, or to advance.”

In an interview, she added: “The map is an response to our scientific knowledge [of the climate emergency]. It is an ethical answer.”

Scores of countries meeting in the host city for the UN climate summit, which is starting its next phase, are aiming to establish how a global phaseout of oil, gas, and coal could work. These nations hope to advance a landmark agreement reached two years ago at COP28 to “transition away from fossil fuels.”

The pledge lacked a schedule or details on the way it could be achieved, and even though it was adopted unanimously, several nations have since tried to back away from the promise. Efforts last year to expand on its practical meaning were blocked by opposition from oil-dependent nations at another UN summit.

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

Because of this, the host has been cautious of demands by certain nations to place the phaseout on the agenda for the current summit. But Silva has worked hard behind the scenes to make sure the topic could be talked about at the conference outside the formal program.

She won over Brazil’s leader, and he made mention repeatedly to the need to “shift from reliance on traditional energy” at the global leaders' meeting that came before the conference, and at the start of the summit.

“This is something that we understand at a certain time had to be put forward, because it is the sole way to address the issue from the root,” Marina Silva said. “We recognise that it is not easy, and we cannot offer false hopes. Raising the subject is brave, and I hope [to see] this bravery from all, from producing nations and using countries.”

The nation had not initiated the push for a phaseout, the minister clarified, because that had been done at the earlier summit. Rather, it was enabling the discussions to occur in line with what certain countries wished. “We know these topics are delicate. We will give the chance to talk about it,” the minister added.

Time is insufficient at the summit to create a roadmap, a task Silva said could take a number of years because many nations faced complex issues around dependence on fossil fuels, or aimed to use the proceeds from exporting oil and gas to finance their economic growth.

“The country raises the subject, because Brazil is both a producing nation and consumer,” she noted. “But Brazil is unique, because it, if it chooses to, need not depend on non-renewables. We have to recognise that there are some that depend on fossil fuels in their economic systems and don’t have easy alternatives, and others where fossil fuels are the basis of their economy.

“To be just is to be just to everyone, but the fundamental, primordial fairness is to avoid being unfair to the Earth, because it is our home.”

Should the proposal gains enough backing, the summit could set up a forum in which the work of drawing up a roadmap to the phaseout could begin.

The endeavor would involve dialogue with every signatory nations to the UN framework convention on climate change and guidelines for how the process would proceed, the minister explained. “After we have standards, a governance structure can be developed; once we have a plan, and create protections to be able to build trust in the system, I believe 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 start developing a roadmap would be accepted at the conference, although it may not need the official consent of the conference, which operates by unanimous agreement and can be hijacked by special interests. COP analysts have suggested they think there could be backing for such a proposal from about sixty countries, but there are believed to be at least forty opposed. There are one hundred ninety-five nations participating at the negotiations.

“In spite of being the primary source of climate change, fossil fuels are about the most divisive topic there is within the international climate talks, so to see a sizable coalition of nations openly supporting a route to achieving global transition is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

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

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

Discussions continued on the weekend on four outstanding topics that have not yet been incorporated into the official agenda: trade, openness, finance and how to address the shortfall between the carbon reduction countries have planned and those required to keep to the 1.5-degree warming limit.

A COP30 chair promised a “note” that would cover these matters, after discussions – which have been going on since the start of the week – were inconclusive. He called on countries to embrace the “mutirão” attitude, referring to one of cooperation and positive discussion.

Work on additional key issues – such as adaptation to the effects of the climate emergency, the fair shift for those impacted by the move to a green economy and how to build governance capabilities in developing countries – carried on productively, the host said.

The host nation's chief negotiator stated the detailed phase of the COP process was approaching completion, and the political phase – when ministers who have the authority to alter their nations' stances join – was starting.