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Brazil’s environment minister, Marina Silva, has called on every country to demonstrate the bravery needed to confront the imperative of a worldwide fossil fuel phaseout, labeling the creation of a detailed plan as an “ethical” answer to the climate crisis.

The minister emphasized, though, that participation in this endeavor would be voluntary and “self-determined” for willing nations.

The topic remains one of the most contentious matters at the COP30 in Brazil, with countries split over if and how such a roadmap can be addressed. Hosting the event, Brazil has maintained a balanced stance on what can be placed on the formal agenda.

The official voiced approval for the potential of a roadmap, without directly pledging Brazil to it. The minister remarked: “In times we have a terrain that is very challenging, it is good that we have a map. But the map does not force us to proceed, or to advance.”

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

Scores of countries meeting in the host city for the global climate conference, which is starting its next phase, are aiming to determine how a worldwide phaseout of oil, gas, and coal could be implemented. These nations aim to advance a landmark resolution made two years ago at a previous UN summit to “transition away from fossil fuels.”

The pledge lacked a schedule or details on the way it could be achieved, and even though it was adopted unanimously, some countries have later tried to back away from the promise. Attempts last year to expand on its practical meaning were blocked 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 that conference.

For these reasons, the host has been cautious of calls by certain nations to include the phaseout on the agenda for COP30. But the minister has worked hard in private to make sure the topic could be discussed at the conference outside the formal agenda.

The minister won over Brazil’s leader, and he made public reference three times to the need to “move away from dependence on fossil fuels” at the global leaders' meeting that came before the conference, and at the opening of the summit.

“The issue is a matter that we understand at some point had to be raised, because it is the sole way to address the issue from the source,” the minister explained. “We recognise that it is not easy, and we cannot offer unrealistic expectations. Raising the subject is courageous, and I hope [to see] this courage from all, from producers and using countries.”

Brazil had not initiated the push for a phaseout, she said, because that had been initiated at the earlier summit. Rather, it was enabling the discussions to take place in line with what certain nations desired. “We know these topics are sensitive. We will give the opportunity to discuss it,” the minister said.

Time is insufficient at the summit to create a roadmap, a task Silva said could take several years because numerous nations confronted complicated challenges around dependence on fossil fuels, or wanted to use the revenue from exporting fossil fuels to finance their economic growth.

“Brazil brings up the topic, because Brazil is both a producing nation and consumer,” she said. “But the nation is unique, because it, if it chooses to, does not have to depend on fossil fuels. We have to recognise that there are some that depend on carbon energy in their economic systems and don’t have easy alternatives, and others where fossil fuels are the basis of their economic structure.

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

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

This endeavor would involve dialogue with every participating countries to the UN framework convention on climate change and guidelines for how the initiative would unfold, Silva said. “Once we have standards, a governance structure can be developed; once we have a strategy, and create protections to be able to establish confidence in the system, I am confident that with these elements we can turn positive concepts into steps that are clearer, and more tangible.”

There is no guarantee that a proposal to begin drawing up a plan would be accepted at the conference, although it may not need the formal consent of the conference, which operates by unanimous agreement and can be hijacked by particular groups. Climate experts have indicated they believe there could be support for such a proposal from about sixty nations, but there are thought to be at least 40 against. There are one hundred ninety-five countries participating at the talks.

“Despite being the primary source of global warming, fossil fuels are about the most contentious subject there is within the UN negotiations, so to see a chunky group of nations publicly backing a route to realizing worldwide phaseout is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

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

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

Discussions continued on the weekend on several unresolved issues that have not yet been incorporated into the official agenda: trade, openness, finance and how to tackle the shortfall between the emissions cuts nations have planned and those required to keep to the 1.5-degree warming target.

The summit chair pledged a “document” that would cover these matters, after discussions – which have been going on since the start of the week – were inconclusive. The official called on countries to adopt the “mutirão” spirit, referring to one of collaboration and positive dialogue.

Progress on additional key topics – such as adaptation to the effects of the climate crisis, the just transition for those affected by the move to a low-carbon economic system and how to build institutional capacity in developing countries – proceeded constructively, the presidency reported.

The host nation's chief negotiator stated the technical phase of the COP proceedings was approaching the end, and the political stage – when government leaders who have the authority to alter their nations' positions join – was beginning.