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Brazil’s environment minister, the minister, has called on all nations to demonstrate the courage needed to confront the imperative of a global transition away from fossil fuels, labeling the creation of a detailed plan as an “ethical” answer to the climate crisis.

The minister stressed, however, that participation in this endeavor would be voluntary and “independently decided” for willing governments.

This issue remains one of the most debated matters at the COP30 in Brazil, with countries divided over if and in what way such a roadmap can be addressed. Hosting the event, the nation has maintained a carefully neutral position on which items can be placed on the formal agenda.

Silva voiced support for the possibility of a roadmap, though not explicitly pledging the country to it. The minister remarked: “In times we have a situation that is very challenging, it is good that we have a guide. But the map does not compel us to proceed, or to advance.”

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

Dozens of nations gathered in Belém for the global climate conference, which is starting its next phase, are seeking to determine how a worldwide transition of oil, gas, and coal could be implemented. They hope to advance a landmark agreement reached two years ago at a previous UN summit to “move away from non-renewable energy sources.”

The pledge had no a schedule or specifics on how it could be realized, and although it was adopted unanimously, several nations have since tried to back away from the pledge. Attempts last year to expand on its real-world meaning were stymied by opposition from oil-dependent nations at COP29.

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

For these reasons, Brazil has been wary of demands by certain countries to place the phaseout on the agenda for the current summit. But Silva has worked hard in private to ensure the topic could be talked about at the summit outside the official agenda.

She won over Brazil’s president, and he gave mention repeatedly to the need to “shift from dependence on fossil fuels” at the global leaders' meeting that came before the conference, and at the start of the event.

“This is a matter that we understand at some point had to be raised, because it is the sole way to address the problem from the source,” the minister said. “We recognise that it is not easy, and we must not sell false hopes. Bringing up the topic is brave, and I wish [to see] this courage from everyone, from producing nations and consumers.”

Brazil had not started the push for a transition, the minister said, because that had been done at the earlier summit. Instead, it was allowing the discussions to occur in accordance with what certain countries desired. “We know these topics are delicate. We will provide the chance to discuss it,” she added.

There is not enough time at the summit to draw up a roadmap, a process the minister called could take several years because many countries faced complex challenges around dependence on fossil fuels, or wanted to use the proceeds from exporting oil and gas to fund their development.

“The country brings up the subject, because Brazil is simultaneously a producing nation and consumer,” the minister said. “But Brazil is unique, because Brazil, if it wants to, does not have to depend on fossil fuels. We have to understand that there are certain nations that depend on fossil fuels in their economies and don’t have simple alternatives, and others where fossil fuels are the basis of their economy.

“To be fair is to be just to everyone, but the fundamental, basic fairness is not being unjust to the Earth, because it is our shared home.”

If the proposal receives enough support, the summit could establish a forum in which the work of creating a strategy to the transition could begin.

This endeavor would require discussions with every signatory countries to the UN climate treaty and guidelines for how the process would proceed, Silva said. “Once we have standards, a management framework can be developed; after we have a strategy, and establish protections to be able to establish confidence in the process, I am confident that with these components we can transform good ideas into actions that are clearer, and more concrete.”

There is no guarantee that a suggestion to start drawing up a plan would be accepted at the conference, although it does not require the formal consent of the summit, which proceeds by consensus and can be disrupted by special interests. 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 opposed. There are one hundred ninety-five countries represented at the talks.

“Despite being the root cause of climate change, fossil fuels are about the most divisive subject there is within the international climate talks, so to see a chunky coalition of countries publicly backing a route to realizing worldwide transition is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

“Put simply, there’s no route to a planet where warming stays below 1.5 degrees in which countries aren’t able to discuss ending fossil fuel use.”

“We need this language for actual in this discussion. It’s highly illogical that we discuss everything but then when fossil fuels are the real challenge.”

Negotiations carried on on the weekend on several unresolved topics that have not yet been incorporated into the formal agenda: commerce, transparency, funding and how to tackle the shortfall between the emissions cuts nations have planned and those needed to keep to the 1.5C warming target.

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

Progress on additional substantive issues – including adjustment 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 institutional capacity in developing countries – proceeded constructively, the presidency reported.

The host nation's lead representative said the detailed part of the summit proceedings was approaching completion, and the political stage – when ministers who have the authority to change their nations' stances join – was starting.