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The environment minister, Marina Silva, has called on all nations to demonstrate the bravery needed to address the necessity of a global fossil fuel phaseout, describing the development of a detailed plan as an “moral” response to the global warming emergency.

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

The topic stands as one of the most contentious matters at the UN climate summit in the host country, with nations divided over whether and in what way such a strategy can be discussed. Hosting the event, the nation has maintained a balanced stance on which items can be placed on the formal agenda.

The official voiced approval for the possibility of a plan, without explicitly pledging Brazil to it. The minister stated: “When we have a terrain that is quite grim, it is helpful that we have a map. But the map does not force us to proceed, or to advance.”

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

Dozens of nations gathered in Belém for the UN climate summit, which is starting its next phase, are aiming to establish how a worldwide phaseout of fossil fuels could work. They aim to build on a historic resolution made two years ago at COP28 to “transition away from fossil fuels.”

The commitment had no a schedule or details on the way it could be realized, and even though it was adopted by all, several countries have later attempted to disavow the pledge. Attempts last year to elaborate on its practical implications were stymied by resistance from petrostates at COP29.

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

Because of this, Brazil has been wary of calls by certain countries to include the phaseout on the agenda for the current summit. But Silva has worked hard in private to ensure the pledge could be discussed at the conference outside the formal agenda.

The minister convinced Brazil’s leader, and he gave mention three times to the need to “move away from reliance on traditional energy” at the global leaders' meeting that came before the conference, and at the start of the summit.

“The issue is something that we understand at a certain time had to be put forward, because it is the sole way to address the problem from the source,” Marina Silva explained. “We acknowledge that it is challenging, and we cannot offer unrealistic expectations. Bringing up the topic is brave, and I wish [to see] this courage from everyone, from producing nations and using countries.”

Brazil had not initiated the push for a phaseout, she clarified, because that had been initiated at COP28. Rather, it was allowing the talks to occur in accordance with what some countries desired. “We know these subjects are delicate. We will provide the chance to talk about it,” she said.

Time is insufficient at COP30 to draw up a roadmap, a process the minister called could take a number of years because many countries confronted complex challenges around dependence on fossil fuels, or wanted to use the revenue from exporting fossil fuels to fund their development.

“The country brings up the subject, because Brazil is simultaneously a producing nation and user,” the minister said. “But the nation is different, because Brazil, if it wants to, need not depend on non-renewables. We have to understand that there are some that depend on fossil fuels in their economies and lack easy alternatives, and some where oil and gas are the foundation of their economy.

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

Should the pledge gains enough backing, the summit could establish a platform in which the process of drawing up a strategy to the transition could start.

This process would involve dialogue with every participating nations to the UN climate treaty and criteria for how the initiative would proceed, the minister said. “After we have criteria, a governance structure can be drawn up; after we have a plan, and create safeguards to be able to establish trust in the process, I believe that with these components we can transform good ideas into actions that are more defined, and more tangible.”

It is uncertain that a suggestion to start developing a roadmap would win approval at COP30, although it does not require the formal consent of the summit, which operates by unanimous agreement and can be disrupted by special interests. Climate experts have indicated they believe there could be backing for such a idea from about 60 nations, but there are believed to be at least forty against. There are one hundred ninety-five nations participating at the negotiations.

“Despite being the root cause of climate change, carbon-based energy are about the most divisive subject there is within the international climate talks, so to see a sizable coalition of countries publicly supporting a path to realizing worldwide transition is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

“Put simply, there’s no route to a planet where warming remains below 1.5 degrees in which nations aren’t able to discuss fossil fuel phaseout.”

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

Negotiations continued on Saturday on four unresolved topics that have still not been included into the formal agenda: commerce, openness, finance and how to address the gap between the carbon reduction countries have planned and those required to keep to the 1.5-degree warming target.

A summit president promised a “document” that would cover these issues, after consultations – which have been going on since Monday – were inconclusive. He called on nations to embrace the “mutirão” attitude, meaning one of collaboration and constructive dialogue.

Progress on other substantive issues – including adjustment to the impacts of the climate crisis, the just transition for those affected by the move to a low-carbon economy and how to build institutional capacity in less developed nations – proceeded productively, the host said.

The host nation's lead representative said the detailed phase of the COP proceedings was approaching completion, and the high-level phase – when ministers who have the authority to alter their nations' positions arrive – was beginning.