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Brazil’s environment minister, Marina Silva, has urged every country to demonstrate the bravery needed to address the necessity of a worldwide transition away from fossil fuels, describing the development of a detailed plan as an “moral” answer to the climate crisis.

She stressed, though, that participation in this endeavor would be optional and “self-determined” for interested nations.

This issue remains one of the most contentious matters at the UN climate summit in Brazil, with nations split over if and how such a strategy can be discussed. Hosting the event, Brazil has maintained a carefully neutral stance on which items can be placed on the formal schedule.

Silva expressed support for the possibility of a roadmap, though not directly committing Brazil to it. The minister stated: “In times we have a terrain that is very challenging, it is helpful that we have a map. But the map does not compel us to proceed, or to climb.”

In an interview, she added: “The roadmap is an answer to our scientific understanding [of the climate emergency]. It is an ethical answer.”

Scores of nations gathered in Belém for the UN climate summit, which is starting its next phase, are aiming to establish how a worldwide phaseout of fossil fuels could work. These nations aim to build on a historic resolution reached two years ago at a previous UN summit to “move away from fossil fuels.”

That pledge had no a schedule or details on the way it could be achieved, and although it was passed unanimously, 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 transition away from carbon fuels in the final agreement of COP29.

Because of this, Brazil has been cautious of calls by certain countries to place the phaseout on the schedule for the current summit. But Silva has strived in private to ensure the pledge could be talked about at the summit outside the formal program.

She convinced Brazil’s leader, and he gave mention three times to the need to “move away from reliance on fossil fuels” at the global leaders' meeting that preceded COP30, and at the start of the event.

“This is something that we understand at a certain time had to be raised, because it is the only way to address the issue from the source,” Marina Silva said. “We acknowledge that it is challenging, and we must not offer false hopes. Raising the topic is courageous, and I hope [to see] this bravery from everyone, from producing nations and consumers.”

Brazil had not started the call for a phaseout, she said, because that had been initiated at the earlier summit. Rather, it was allowing the discussions to take place in line with what certain countries wished. “We know these topics are sensitive. We will give the chance to discuss it,” the minister added.

There is not enough time at COP30 to draw up a detailed plan, a process Silva said could take a number of years because many nations faced complex challenges around reliance on fossil fuels, or wanted to use the revenue from exporting fossil fuels to fund their economic growth.

“Brazil brings up the topic, because Brazil is both a producer and consumer,” the minister noted. “But Brazil is different, because Brazil, if it wants to, need not depend on fossil fuels. We have to understand that there are some that rely on carbon energy in their economies and don’t have easy alternatives, and others where fossil fuels are the basis of their economic structure.

“To be just is to be fair to everyone, but the fundamental, primordial justice is not being unfair to the planet, because it is our home.”

Should the pledge gains enough backing, COP30 could set up a forum in which the process of creating a roadmap to the transition could start.

This endeavor would involve dialogue with every participating nations to the UN climate treaty and criteria for how the initiative would proceed, the minister explained. “After we have criteria, a management framework can be drawn up; after we have a strategy, and create protections to be able to establish trust in the process, I am confident that with these components we can transform positive concepts into steps that are more defined, and more tangible.”

There is no guarantee that a suggestion to begin drawing up a plan would win approval at the conference, even if it may not need the official approval of the conference, which operates by unanimous agreement and can be hijacked by special interests. COP experts have indicated they think there could be backing for such a proposal from about sixty nations, but there are believed to be at least 40 against. There are one hundred ninety-five nations represented at the negotiations.

“In spite of being the primary source of global warming, fossil fuels are about the most divisive topic there is within the UN negotiations, so to see a chunky group of countries openly backing a path to realizing global phaseout is in itself highly significant.”

“In simple terms, there’s no route to a planet where temperature rise remains below 1.5C in which nations aren’t able to discuss ending fossil fuel use.”

“We need this wording for real in this discussion. It’s quite stupid that we talk about everything but that when the main issue are the real challenge.”

Negotiations continued on the weekend on four unresolved topics that have not yet been incorporated into the official schedule: trade, transparency, finance and how to address the shortfall between the emissions cuts nations have planned and those needed to hold to the 1.5-degree temperature limit.

A COP30 president pledged a “note” that would address these matters, after discussions – which have been underway since the start of the week – were unresolved. He urged countries to adopt the “mutirão” spirit, referring to one of cooperation and positive discussion.

Work on additional substantive issues – including adjustment to the effects of the climate emergency, the just transition for those impacted by the move to a green economy and how to strengthen governance capabilities in developing countries – carried on constructively, the presidency reported.

Brazil’s lead representative stated the detailed phase of the COP proceedings was nearing the end, and the high-level phase – when government leaders who have the power to change their nations' stances arrive – was starting.