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Brazil’s environment minister, Marina Silva, has urged every country to demonstrate the courage needed to confront the imperative of a global transition away from fossil fuels, describing the creation of a detailed plan as an “ethical” response to the global warming emergency.

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

This issue remains one of the most contentious subjects at the UN climate summit in the host country, with countries split over whether and in what way such a strategy can be addressed. Hosting the event, Brazil has adopted a carefully neutral stance on which items can be placed on the official agenda.

The official expressed support for the potential of a roadmap, though not directly pledging Brazil to it. The minister remarked: “When we have a terrain that is quite grim, it is helpful that we have a map. But the guide does not force us to travel, or to advance.”

Speaking further, she added: “The roadmap is an response to our scientific understanding [of the climate crisis]. It is an moral response.”

Dozens of countries meeting in Belém for the global climate conference, which is starting its next phase, are aiming to establish how a worldwide phaseout of oil, gas, and coal could work. These nations aim to build on a historic resolution made two years ago at COP28 to “transition away from non-renewable energy sources.”

The commitment had no a timetable or details on how it could be realized, and although it was passed unanimously, several nations have since tried to disavow the promise. Efforts last year to expand on its practical implications were blocked by opposition from petrostates at COP29.

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

For these reasons, Brazil has been wary of demands by some nations to place the phaseout on the agenda for the current summit. But the minister has strived behind the scenes to ensure the pledge could be talked about at the conference apart from the formal agenda.

The minister convinced the nation's leader, who made public reference three times to the need to “move away from dependence on fossil fuels” at the global leaders' meeting that preceded the conference, and at the start of the summit.

“This is something that we understand at a certain time had to be raised, because it is the only way to address the problem from the source,” the minister said. “We recognise that it is challenging, and we must not offer false hopes. Bringing up the subject is courageous, and I wish [to see] this bravery from everyone, from producers and using countries.”

The nation had not started the call for a phaseout, she said, because that had been initiated at COP28. Rather, it was allowing the discussions to occur in line with what certain countries wished. “We know these subjects are sensitive. We will give the chance to talk about it,” she said.

There is not enough time at the summit to draw up a detailed plan, a task Silva called could take a number of years because many nations confronted complicated issues around reliance on carbon-based energy, or wanted to use the proceeds from selling oil and gas to fund their economic growth.

“The country brings up the subject, because Brazil is simultaneously a producer and user,” she noted. “But Brazil is different, because Brazil, if it wants to, need not depend on fossil fuels. We have to recognise that there are some that depend on carbon energy in their economic systems and don’t have easy solutions, and some where fossil fuels are the basis of their economic structure.

“To be just is to be just to all, but the essential, primordial fairness is to avoid being unjust to the planet, because it is our shared home.”

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

This process would involve dialogue with all signatory nations to the UN framework convention on climate change and criteria for how the process would proceed, Silva said. “Once we have standards, a management framework can be developed; after we have a plan, and create safeguards to be able to build confidence in the system, I believe that with these elements we can turn good ideas into actions that are more defined, and more tangible.”

It is uncertain that a suggestion to start drawing up a plan would be accepted at the conference, even if it may not need the formal approval of the conference, which operates by unanimous agreement and can be hijacked by particular groups. COP analysts have indicated they think there could be backing for such a proposal from about sixty countries, but there are thought to be at least forty against. A total of one hundred ninety-five nations participating at the talks.

“In spite of being the root cause of global warming, fossil fuels are about the most contentious subject there is within the UN negotiations, so to see a sizable coalition of nations openly supporting a path to achieving worldwide phaseout is in itself highly significant.”

“In simple terms, there’s no path to a world where warming remains below 1.5C in which countries cannot to discuss fossil fuel phaseout.”

“We need this language for actual in this conversation. It’s quite stupid that we discuss all topics but that when fossil fuels are the actual problem.”

Discussions carried on on Saturday on several unresolved topics that have still not been incorporated into the official schedule: trade, openness, finance and how to tackle the gap between the carbon reduction countries have planned and those required to keep to the 1.5-degree warming target.

A COP30 president pledged a “document” that would address these issues, after discussions – which have been going on since the start of the week – were inconclusive. He urged countries to embrace the “mutirão” attitude, meaning one of collaboration and constructive dialogue.

Work on other substantive issues – including adaptation to the effects of the climate emergency, the fair shift for those affected by the transition to a low-carbon economic system and how to strengthen governance capabilities in developing countries – carried on productively, the presidency reported.

Brazil’s chief negotiator said the detailed part of the summit proceedings was approaching completion, and the high-level phase – when government leaders who have the power to alter their countries’ positions join – was beginning.