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Brazil’s climate chief, the minister, has urged every country to show the courage needed to confront the imperative of a worldwide transition away from fossil fuels, labeling the development of a detailed plan as an “moral” answer to the climate crisis.

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

The topic stands as one of the most debated subjects at the COP30 in Brazil, with nations split over whether and how such a roadmap can be addressed. Hosting the event, Brazil has adopted a balanced stance on which items can be placed on the official schedule.

Silva expressed approval for the possibility of a roadmap, without directly committing the country to it. She remarked: “When we have a situation that is quite grim, it is good that we have a map. But the map does not force us to proceed, or to advance.”

Speaking further, she added: “The roadmap is an answer to our scientific knowledge [of the climate emergency]. It is an ethical answer.”

Dozens of countries meeting in Belém for the global climate conference, which is starting its second week, are seeking to determine how a global transition of oil, gas, and coal could be implemented. These nations aim to build on a landmark agreement reached two years ago at COP28 to “transition away from non-renewable energy sources.”

That pledge had no a schedule or details on how it could be achieved, and although it was adopted by all, several nations have since attempted to back away from the promise. Attempts last year to elaborate on its real-world meaning were stymied by resistance from petrostates at another UN summit.

As a result, there was no mention of the shift away from carbon fuels in the outcome of COP29.

Because of this, Brazil has been cautious of demands by some countries to place the transition on the schedule for COP30. But the minister has worked hard in private to ensure the pledge could be discussed at the summit apart from the official agenda.

She won over Brazil’s leader, who gave public reference repeatedly to the need to “move away from dependence on traditional energy” at the global leaders' meeting that preceded COP30, and at the start of the summit.

“The issue is a matter that we know at a certain time had to be raised, because it is the only way to face the issue from the root,” the minister explained. “We recognise that it is challenging, and we cannot sell unrealistic expectations. Raising the subject is brave, and I hope [to see] this bravery from all, from producers and using countries.”

Brazil had not started the call for a transition, the minister said, because that had been done at COP28. Rather, it was allowing the talks to occur in accordance with what some nations wished. “We understand these topics are sensitive. We will give the opportunity to talk about it,” the minister said.

Time is insufficient at the summit to draw up a detailed plan, a process the minister said could take a number of years because numerous nations confronted complicated challenges around dependence on fossil fuels, or wanted to use the revenue from exporting fossil fuels to fund their economic growth.

“The country brings up the topic, because Brazil is both a producing nation and consumer,” the minister noted. “But the nation is unique, because Brazil, if it wants to, need not rely on non-renewables. We have to recognise that there are some that depend on fossil fuels in their economies and don’t have simple alternatives, and others where oil and gas are the foundation of their economic structure.

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

Should the pledge receives enough backing, COP30 could establish a forum in which the process of creating a roadmap to the transition could begin.

The process would require discussions with every participating nations to the UN climate treaty and criteria for how the initiative would unfold, Silva explained. “Once we have standards, a governance structure can be drawn up; once we have a plan, and establish safeguards to be able to establish trust in the process, I believe that with these components we can turn good ideas into actions that are more defined, and more tangible.”

It is uncertain that a proposal to start drawing up a plan would be accepted at COP30, even if it does not require the official consent of the conference, which proceeds by unanimous agreement and can be disrupted by special interests. COP analysts have suggested they believe there could be backing for such a idea from about 60 countries, but there are believed to be at least 40 against. A total of 195 countries participating 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 sizable group of countries publicly backing a path to achieving worldwide phaseout is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

“Put simply, there’s no route 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 conversation. It’s quite stupid that we talk about everything but that when the main issue are the actual challenge.”

Negotiations continued on Saturday on four outstanding topics that have not yet been included into the official agenda: commerce, transparency, finance and how to tackle the gap between the carbon reduction countries have planned and those needed to keep to the 1.5-degree warming limit.

The summit chair pledged a “document” that would cover these matters, after discussions – which have been underway since Monday – were unresolved. The official urged nations to adopt the “mutirão” attitude, meaning one of cooperation and positive discussion.

Work on additional substantive topics – including adjustment to the effects of the climate crisis, the just transition for those impacted by the transition to a green economy and how to strengthen governance capabilities in less developed nations – proceeded productively, the presidency reported.

Brazil’s lead representative said the technical part of the COP proceedings was approaching completion, and the high-level stage – when ministers who have the authority to change their countries’ stances arrive – was beginning.