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The environment minister, the minister, has urged every country to demonstrate the bravery needed to address the necessity of a worldwide fossil fuel phaseout, labeling the development of a detailed plan as an “moral” answer to the global warming emergency.

The minister stressed, though, that involvement in this endeavor would be optional and “self-determined” for interested governments.

This issue stands as one of the most contentious subjects at the COP30 in Brazil, with countries divided over if and how such a strategy can be discussed. As the host, the nation has maintained a balanced stance on which items can be placed on the official agenda.

The official expressed support for the potential of a plan, though not directly pledging Brazil to it. She remarked: “In times we have a terrain that is quite grim, it is good that we have a map. But the guide does not force us to travel, or to climb.”

In an interview, she noted: “The roadmap is an response to our scientific understanding [of the climate emergency]. It is an moral response.”

Dozens of nations meeting in Belém for the UN climate summit, which is entering its second week, are seeking to determine how a global transition of fossil fuels could be implemented. They hope to advance a historic agreement made two years ago at COP28 to “move away from non-renewable energy sources.”

The commitment lacked a timetable or specifics on the way it could be realized, and although it was passed unanimously, several nations have later attempted to disavow the pledge. Attempts last year to elaborate on its real-world meaning were stymied by opposition from petrostates at COP29.

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

For these reasons, Brazil has been wary of calls by some countries to include the transition on the schedule for the current summit. But the minister has worked hard behind the scenes to ensure the pledge could be discussed at the conference outside the official agenda.

She won over Brazil’s leader, who gave public reference three times to the need to “move away from dependence on traditional energy” at the summit of world leaders that preceded the conference, and at the start of the summit.

“This is something that we know at some point had to be raised, because it is the sole way to face the problem from the root,” the minister explained. “We recognise that it is not easy, and we cannot offer unrealistic expectations. Bringing up the subject is courageous, and I hope [to see] this courage from everyone, from producers and consumers.”

Brazil had not initiated the call for a phaseout, she said, because that had been done at the earlier summit. Instead, it was allowing the talks to take place in accordance with what certain nations wished. “We understand these subjects are sensitive. We will give the chance to discuss it,” the minister added.

Time is insufficient at COP30 to draw up a detailed plan, a task the minister said could take a number of years because numerous nations faced complicated issues around reliance on fossil fuels, or aimed to use the revenue from exporting fossil fuels to finance their development.

“Brazil raises the topic, because it is simultaneously a producing nation and user,” the minister said. “But the nation is different, because it, if it chooses to, does not have to rely on non-renewables. We have to recognise that there are some that depend on carbon energy in their economic systems and don’t have simple alternatives, and some where oil and gas are the foundation 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 receives enough backing, the summit could establish a platform in which the process of creating a strategy to the transition could start.

This process would require discussions with every participating nations to the UN framework convention on climate change and guidelines for how the process would unfold, Silva explained. “Once we have criteria, a governance structure can be developed; once we have a strategy, and establish safeguards to be able to establish trust in the system, I am confident that with these components we can turn good ideas into steps that are more defined, and more tangible.”

It is uncertain that a proposal to start drawing up a roadmap would win approval at COP30, even if it does not require the official approval of the conference, which operates by unanimous agreement and can be disrupted by special interests. Climate experts have suggested they believe there could be backing for such a proposal from about 60 nations, but there are thought to be at least forty against. A total of 195 nations represented at the talks.

“Despite being the root cause of climate change, fossil fuels are about the most contentious subject there is within the UN negotiations, so to see a chunky coalition of nations openly backing a path to achieving worldwide transition is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

“In simple terms, there’s no route to a planet where warming stays below 1.5C in which countries cannot to talk about fossil fuel phaseout.”

“We require this language for actual in this conversation. It’s highly illogical that we talk about all topics but that when fossil fuels are the actual challenge.”

Negotiations continued on the weekend on four outstanding issues that have not yet been incorporated into the formal agenda: commerce, openness, funding and how to address the gap between the carbon reduction countries have proposed and those required to hold to the 1.5-degree temperature limit.

A COP30 chair promised a “note” that would cover these issues, after consultations – which have been underway since the start of the week – were unresolved. The official called on nations to adopt the “mutirão” spirit, meaning one of collaboration and positive dialogue.

Work on additional key topics – including adaptation 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 less developed nations – proceeded productively, the host said.

The host nation's lead representative said the technical part of the summit process was approaching the end, and the political stage – when ministers who have the power to change their countries’ stances join – was starting.