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Brazil’s environment minister, Marina Silva, has urged every country to show the bravery needed to address the imperative of a worldwide transition away from fossil fuels, describing the creation of a roadmap as an “moral” answer to the global warming emergency.

The minister stressed, though, that involvement in this process would be voluntary and “independently decided” for willing governments.

This issue remains one of the most debated matters at the COP30 in Brazil, with nations split over if and in what way such a strategy can be addressed. Hosting the event, the nation has maintained a balanced position on what can be included on the official agenda.

The official voiced support for the potential of a plan, though not explicitly pledging the country to it. She stated: “In times we have a terrain that is quite grim, it is helpful that we have a guide. But the guide does not force us to proceed, or to climb.”

Speaking further, she noted: “The roadmap is an response to our scientific understanding [of the climate emergency]. It is an ethical response.”

Dozens of nations meeting in the host city for the UN climate summit, which is entering its next phase, are seeking to determine how a global transition of oil, gas, and coal could be implemented. They hope to advance a historic resolution made two years ago at COP28 to “transition away from non-renewable energy sources.”

The pledge lacked a schedule or specifics on how it could be achieved, and although it was passed unanimously, several nations have since attempted to disavow the pledge. Efforts last year to elaborate on its practical implications were stymied by opposition from petrostates at COP29.

Consequently, there was no mention of the transition away from fossil fuels in the final agreement of that conference.

For these reasons, Brazil has been cautious of calls by certain nations to place the transition on the agenda for COP30. But Silva has worked hard behind the scenes to make sure the pledge could be discussed at the summit apart from the official agenda.

She won over the nation's president, who made mention three times to the need to “move away from dependence on fossil fuels” at the global leaders' meeting that came before COP30, and at the opening of the summit.

“This is something that we know at a certain time 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 cannot offer false hopes. Raising the topic is courageous, and I wish [to see] this courage from all, from producing nations and using countries.”

The nation had not initiated the call for a transition, the minister clarified, because that had been initiated at COP28. Rather, it was allowing the talks to occur in accordance with what some countries wished. “We understand these subjects are sensitive. We will give the chance to talk about it,” the minister added.

Time is insufficient at the summit to create a detailed plan, a process the minister called could take a number of years because numerous countries faced complicated issues around reliance on fossil fuels, or aimed to use the revenue from exporting fossil fuels to fund their development.

“The country brings up the topic, because it is simultaneously a producer and user,” she said. “But Brazil is unique, because Brazil, if it chooses to, does not have to rely on fossil fuels. We have to recognise that there are some that rely on fossil fuels in their economies and lack simple alternatives, and some where oil and gas are the foundation of their economy.

“To be fair is to be fair to all, but the fundamental, basic justice is not being unfair to the Earth, because it is our shared home.”

If the pledge receives sufficient support, COP30 could set up a forum in which the work of creating a strategy to the phaseout could begin.

This endeavor would require dialogue with every signatory nations to the UN climate treaty and guidelines for how the process 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 build trust in the process, I believe that with these elements we can turn positive concepts into steps that are more defined, and more tangible.”

There is no guarantee that a suggestion to begin drawing up a roadmap would win approval at the conference, although it may not need the formal approval of the summit, which operates by unanimous agreement and can be hijacked by particular groups. COP experts have indicated they think there could be backing for such a idea from about sixty nations, but there are thought to be at least 40 opposed. There are 195 nations participating at the talks.

“Despite being the root cause of climate change, carbon-based energy are about the most contentious subject there is within the international climate talks, so to see a chunky coalition of countries publicly supporting a route to achieving global phaseout is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

“In simple terms, there’s no route to a planet where warming stays below 1.5 degrees in which nations cannot to talk about ending fossil fuel use.”

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

Negotiations continued on Saturday on several unresolved issues that have not yet been incorporated into the official schedule: commerce, openness, finance and how to address the gap between the emissions cuts countries have planned and those needed to keep to the 1.5C warming limit.

The COP30 president pledged a “note” that would cover these matters, after discussions – which have been going on since Monday – were unresolved. He called on nations to embrace the “mutirão” spirit, meaning one of cooperation and constructive dialogue.

Work on additional substantive issues – including adjustment to the impacts of the climate crisis, the just transition for those impacted by the transition to a low-carbon economy and how to build institutional capacity in developing countries – proceeded constructively, the host reported.

Brazil’s chief negotiator stated the detailed part of the summit process was approaching the end, and the political phase – when government leaders who have the power to change their countries’ positions join – was starting.