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Brazil’s environment minister, the minister, has urged all nations to show the courage needed to confront the necessity of a global transition away from fossil fuels, labeling the development of a detailed plan as an “ethical” answer to the global warming emergency.

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

This issue stands as one of the most contentious matters at the COP30 in Brazil, with nations split over whether and how such a roadmap can be addressed. As the host, Brazil has maintained a carefully neutral stance on which items can be included on the formal agenda.

The official voiced support for the potential of a plan, without explicitly pledging Brazil to it. The minister remarked: “When we have a terrain that is quite grim, it is good that we have a guide. But the map does not force us to proceed, or to climb.”

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

Scores of nations gathered in Belém for the UN climate summit, which is entering its second week, are aiming to establish how a global transition of fossil fuels could be implemented. They hope to build on a historic agreement made two years ago at COP28 to “transition away from non-renewable energy sources.”

The pledge had no a schedule or details on how it could be realized, and even though it was adopted unanimously, several countries have later tried to disavow the pledge. Attempts last year to expand on its real-world meaning were stymied by opposition from oil-dependent nations at another UN summit.

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

For these reasons, Brazil has been wary of demands by some countries to include the phaseout on the schedule for the current summit. But Silva has strived behind the scenes to ensure the topic could be discussed at the summit apart from the formal agenda.

She convinced the nation's president, who made public reference three times to the need to “move away from reliance on fossil fuels” at the summit of world leaders that came before COP30, and at the start of the summit.

“The issue is a matter that we understand at a certain time had to be raised, because it is the sole way to address the problem from the source,” the minister explained. “We acknowledge that it is challenging, and we must not offer false hopes. Bringing up the topic is brave, and I wish [to see] this courage from all, from producers and using countries.”

Brazil had not started the call for a phaseout, she clarified, because that had been done at COP28. Instead, it was enabling the discussions to take place in line with what certain nations desired. “We understand these subjects are sensitive. We will provide the chance to talk about it,” she said.

Time is insufficient at COP30 to create a detailed plan, a process Silva said could take several years because numerous nations faced complex issues around reliance on carbon-based energy, or aimed to use the proceeds from selling oil and gas to fund their development.

“The country raises the subject, because it is simultaneously a producer and consumer,” the minister noted. “But the nation is different, because Brazil, if it chooses to, need not rely on fossil fuels. We have to understand that there are certain nations that depend on carbon energy in their economic systems and lack simple solutions, and others where fossil fuels are the basis of their economy.

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

Should the proposal receives enough backing, the summit could set up a forum in which the work of drawing up a strategy to the phaseout could start.

This process would require dialogue with every signatory nations to the UN climate treaty and guidelines for how the initiative would unfold, Silva explained. “Once we have criteria, a management framework can be drawn up; after we have a plan, and establish safeguards to be able to establish confidence in the process, I am confident that with these components we can turn positive concepts into steps that are clearer, and more concrete.”

It is uncertain that a proposal to begin developing a plan would win approval at the conference, although it does not require the formal consent of the conference, which proceeds by unanimous agreement and can be hijacked by particular groups. Climate experts have suggested they think there could be backing for such a proposal from about 60 countries, but there are thought to be at least 40 opposed. A total of one hundred ninety-five nations represented at the talks.

“In spite of being the primary source of global warming, fossil fuels are about the most divisive subject there is within the UN negotiations, so to see a chunky coalition of countries openly backing a route to achieving global phaseout is in itself highly significant.”

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

“We require this wording for actual in this discussion. It’s highly illogical that we discuss all topics but that when fossil fuels are the real problem.”

Discussions continued on Saturday on several outstanding topics that have not yet been included into the official agenda: commerce, openness, finance and how to address the gap between the emissions cuts nations have proposed and those needed to keep to the 1.5C warming target.

A COP30 president pledged a “note” that would cover these matters, after consultations – which have been underway since the start of the week – were inconclusive. The official urged countries to adopt the “mutirão” spirit, referring to one of cooperation and positive dialogue.

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

The host nation's lead representative said the detailed part of the summit proceedings was nearing the end, and the high-level stage – when government leaders who have the power to change their countries’ positions arrive – was starting.