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The environment minister, the minister, has called on every country to show the courage needed to confront the necessity of a worldwide fossil fuel phaseout, describing the creation of a roadmap as an “moral” answer to the global warming emergency.

The minister stressed, however, that participation in this process would be optional and “self-determined” for interested governments.

This issue stands as one of the most contentious matters at the COP30 in Brazil, with countries split over whether and how such a roadmap can be addressed. Hosting the event, the nation has adopted a carefully neutral stance on which items can be included on the official agenda.

The official expressed approval for the possibility of a plan, without explicitly pledging Brazil to it. She remarked: “When we have a situation that is very challenging, it is good that we have a guide. But the guide does not force us to travel, or to climb.”

Speaking further, the minister added: “The roadmap is an answer to our scientific understanding [of the climate crisis]. It is an ethical answer.”

Scores of countries meeting in the host city for the UN climate summit, which is entering its next phase, are seeking to establish how a global transition of oil, gas, and coal could work. These nations aim to build on a historic agreement reached two years ago at a previous UN summit to “transition away from non-renewable energy sources.”

That pledge lacked a timetable or details on how it could be achieved, and although it was adopted by all, some nations have later tried to back away from the pledge. Efforts last year to expand on its practical meaning were stymied by opposition from petrostates at COP29.

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

For these reasons, Brazil has been wary of calls by certain countries to include the transition on the schedule for the current summit. But the minister has strived behind the scenes to make sure the pledge could be talked about at the conference apart from the official program.

The minister won over the nation's president, and he made mention three times to the need to “shift from reliance on traditional energy” at the global leaders' meeting that preceded the conference, and at the start of the summit.

“This is something that we know at a certain time had to be raised, because it is the only way to address the problem from the root,” the minister explained. “We recognise that it is not easy, and we cannot sell false hopes. Bringing up the subject is brave, and I wish [to see] this courage from everyone, from producing nations and consumers.”

The nation had not initiated the push for a transition, the minister clarified, because that had been done at the earlier summit. Rather, it was allowing the talks to take place in accordance with what certain nations desired. “We know these topics are sensitive. We will provide the chance to talk about it,” the minister added.

Time is insufficient at the summit to create a detailed plan, a process the minister said could take several years because many countries faced complex challenges around dependence on carbon-based energy, or aimed to use the revenue from exporting fossil fuels to fund their economic growth.

“The country brings up the topic, because Brazil is both a producer and user,” the minister noted. “But Brazil is unique, because it, if it wants to, need not rely on non-renewables. We have to recognise that there are some that depend on carbon energy in their economic systems and lack easy solutions, and some where oil and gas are the basis of their economic structure.

“To be just is to be just to everyone, but the essential, basic justice is to avoid being unjust to the Earth, because it is our home.”

Should the proposal receives sufficient backing, the summit could establish a platform in which the work of creating a strategy to the transition could start.

This process would require discussions with every signatory nations to the UN climate treaty and criteria for how the process would proceed, Silva said. “Once we have standards, a governance structure can be drawn up; once we have a plan, and create protections to be able to establish trust in the process, I believe that with these components we can transform positive concepts into actions that are more defined, and more concrete.”

It is uncertain that a proposal to start developing a roadmap would win approval at COP30, although it may not need the official approval of the summit, which operates by unanimous agreement and can be hijacked by special interests. COP analysts have suggested they believe there could be backing for such a proposal from about sixty countries, but there are thought to be at least forty against. There are one hundred ninety-five countries represented at the talks.

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

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

“We require this language for real in this discussion. It’s quite stupid that we talk about all topics but then when the main issue are the actual challenge.”

Discussions carried on on Saturday on four unresolved topics that have still not been included into the formal schedule: commerce, openness, funding and how to tackle the shortfall between the emissions cuts nations have proposed and those required to keep to the 1.5-degree warming target.

A summit chair pledged a “document” that would cover these matters, after consultations – which have been underway since Monday – were inconclusive. The official called on countries to embrace the “mutirão” spirit, meaning one of collaboration and positive dialogue.

Work on additional key issues – including adaptation to the effects of the climate emergency, the fair shift for those impacted by the transition to a green economic system and how to strengthen institutional capacity in less developed nations – carried on productively, the presidency said.

Brazil’s lead representative stated the technical phase of the summit process was approaching completion, and the political stage – when government leaders who have the power to change their nations' stances arrive – was beginning.