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The environment minister, Marina Silva, has called on all nations to demonstrate the bravery needed to confront the imperative of a worldwide fossil fuel phaseout, describing the development of a roadmap as an “moral” response to the climate crisis.

The minister emphasized, though, that involvement in this endeavor would be optional and “independently decided” for willing nations.

The topic remains one of the most debated matters at the COP30 in Brazil, with countries divided over whether and how such a strategy can be discussed. Hosting the event, Brazil has maintained a carefully neutral stance on what can be placed on the official agenda.

The official expressed approval for the possibility of a plan, without explicitly committing Brazil to it. The minister stated: “When we have a terrain that is quite grim, it is good that we have a guide. But the guide does not compel us to travel, or to climb.”

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

Dozens of nations gathered in the host city for the global climate conference, which is entering its next phase, are aiming to establish how a global transition of oil, gas, and coal could work. These nations hope to build on a historic resolution reached two years ago at COP28 to “transition away from fossil fuels.”

That commitment had no a schedule or details on the way it could be realized, and although it was passed by all, some nations have since tried to disavow the promise. Efforts last year to expand on its real-world meaning were blocked by opposition from petrostates at COP29.

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

Because of this, Brazil has been wary of demands by certain countries to place the transition on the schedule for the current summit. But the minister has strived behind the scenes to make sure the pledge could be discussed at the conference apart from the official program.

She won over the nation's leader, and he made public reference repeatedly to the need to “shift from dependence on traditional energy” at the summit of world leaders that preceded COP30, and at the opening of the summit.

“The issue is something that we know at a certain time had to be put forward, because it is the only way to address the issue from the root,” the minister said. “We recognise that it is not easy, and we cannot sell false hopes. Bringing up the subject is courageous, and I wish [to see] this bravery from all, from producers and using countries.”

Brazil had not initiated the push for a phaseout, the minister clarified, because that had been initiated at COP28. Rather, it was enabling the discussions to occur in accordance with what some countries desired. “We know these topics are delicate. We will give the chance to discuss it,” she added.

Time is insufficient at COP30 to draw up a roadmap, a task the minister called could take a number of years because numerous countries faced complex challenges around reliance on carbon-based energy, or aimed to use the revenue from selling fossil fuels to finance their economic growth.

“The country brings up the topic, because it is both a producing nation and consumer,” she noted. “But Brazil is unique, because it, if it wants to, need not depend on non-renewables. We have to understand that there are some that depend on carbon energy in their economic systems and lack easy solutions, and others where fossil fuels are the basis of their economic structure.

“To be just is to be fair to all, but the fundamental, primordial fairness is to avoid being unjust to the Earth, because it is our home.”

If the proposal gains sufficient backing, the summit could establish a platform in which the work of creating a strategy to the phaseout could begin.

This process would require dialogue with every signatory countries to the UN framework convention on climate change and criteria for how the process would unfold, Silva explained. “After we have criteria, a governance structure can be developed; after we have a strategy, and create safeguards to be able to build confidence in the process, I am confident that with these elements we can transform good ideas into actions that are more defined, and more concrete.”

There is no guarantee that a proposal to begin drawing up a plan would be accepted at COP30, even if it does not require the formal consent of the summit, which operates by consensus and can be hijacked by particular groups. COP analysts have indicated they think there could be support for such a proposal from about sixty nations, but there are believed to be at least 40 against. There are 195 nations represented at the negotiations.

“Despite being the root cause of climate change, fossil fuels are about the most divisive topic there is within the UN negotiations, so to see a sizable coalition of countries openly backing a path to achieving global transition is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

“Put simply, there’s no path to a planet where temperature rise remains below 1.5 degrees in which nations aren’t able to talk about fossil fuel phaseout.”

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

Negotiations continued on Saturday on four outstanding topics that have still not been included into the official schedule: trade, transparency, finance and how to tackle the shortfall between the emissions cuts nations have planned and those required to keep to the 1.5C temperature limit.

The summit president pledged a “document” that would cover these issues, after consultations – which have been underway since the start of the week – were inconclusive. The official called on nations to adopt the “mutirão” spirit, referring to one of cooperation and constructive dialogue.

Work on additional key topics – such as adaptation to the impacts of the climate emergency, the fair shift for those affected by the transition to a green economic system and how to strengthen governance capabilities in developing countries – proceeded productively, the host reported.

The host nation's chief negotiator stated the technical phase of the summit proceedings was approaching completion, and the high-level stage – when ministers who have the authority to alter their countries’ positions join – was beginning.