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The climate chief, the minister, has urged all nations to demonstrate the courage needed to address the necessity of a global transition away from fossil fuels, labeling the development of a detailed plan as an “moral” answer to the climate crisis.

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

This issue remains one of the most contentious matters at the COP30 in Brazil, with countries split over whether and in what way such a roadmap can be addressed. Hosting the event, the nation has adopted a balanced stance on which items can be included on the official schedule.

The official expressed approval for the possibility of a plan, without directly pledging the country to it. The minister remarked: “When we have a terrain that is quite grim, 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 response to our scientific understanding [of the climate emergency]. It is an ethical response.”

Dozens of countries meeting in Belém for the UN climate summit, which is entering its second week, are aiming to establish how a worldwide transition of oil, gas, and coal could be implemented. They aim to build on a historic agreement made two years ago at a previous UN summit to “move away from fossil fuels.”

That pledge had no a schedule or specifics on the way it could be realized, and even though it was adopted by all, some nations have later attempted to disavow the pledge. Efforts last year to expand on its real-world meaning were stymied by opposition from petrostates at another UN summit.

Consequently, there was no mention of the transition away from carbon fuels in the outcome of that conference.

For these reasons, Brazil has been cautious of calls by some countries to place the transition on the schedule for COP30. But the minister has worked hard behind the scenes to make sure the pledge could be discussed at the summit apart from the formal program.

She convinced Brazil’s president, who made public reference three times to the need to “move away from dependence on fossil fuels” at the global leaders' meeting that preceded COP30, and at the start of the event.

“The issue is a matter that we understand at some point had to be put forward, because it is the sole way to address the issue from the root,” Marina Silva explained. “We recognise that it is not easy, and we must not offer false hopes. Bringing up the subject is brave, and I hope [to see] this bravery from everyone, from producing nations and using countries.”

Brazil had not started the push for a transition, the minister clarified, because that had been done at the earlier summit. Instead, it was enabling the discussions to occur in accordance with what certain nations desired. “We understand these topics are delicate. We will provide the chance to discuss it,” she said.

Time is insufficient at the summit to draw up a roadmap, a task the minister said could take a number of years because numerous countries confronted complicated issues around dependence on carbon-based energy, or wanted to use the revenue from selling oil and gas to finance their development.

“The country brings up the subject, because it is both a producer and consumer,” she said. “But the nation is different, because Brazil, if it chooses to, need not rely on fossil fuels. We have to understand that there are certain nations that rely on carbon energy in their economic systems and don’t have simple solutions, and others where oil and gas are the basis of their economic structure.

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

If the proposal gains enough backing, COP30 could establish a forum in which the work of creating a roadmap to the phaseout could start.

This process would involve dialogue with every signatory nations to the UN framework convention on climate change and guidelines for how the initiative would unfold, the minister explained. “After we have criteria, a management framework can be developed; once we have a strategy, and establish safeguards to be able to build confidence in the system, I am confident that with these components we can turn positive concepts into actions that are clearer, and more concrete.”

There is no guarantee that a proposal to begin drawing up a plan would be accepted at COP30, even if it may not need the formal approval of the summit, which operates by consensus and can be hijacked by particular groups. COP analysts have suggested they believe there could be backing for such a proposal from about 60 nations, but there are believed to be at least 40 opposed. A total of 195 countries represented at the negotiations.

“Despite being the root cause of global warming, fossil fuels are about the most contentious subject there is within the UN negotiations, so to see a sizable coalition of countries publicly supporting a route to achieving worldwide phaseout is in itself highly significant.”

“Put simply, there’s no path to a world where temperature rise stays below 1.5 degrees in which countries cannot to discuss ending fossil fuel use.”

“We need this language for real in this discussion. It’s highly illogical that we talk about everything but then when fossil fuels are the actual problem.”

Discussions carried on on Saturday on four outstanding issues that have still not been included into the formal schedule: commerce, openness, funding and how to tackle the shortfall between the carbon reduction countries have proposed and those needed to keep to the 1.5C temperature limit.

The COP30 president pledged a “note” that would cover these issues, after discussions – which have been going on since Monday – were unresolved. He urged countries to adopt the “mutirão” spirit, referring to one of collaboration and constructive dialogue.

Progress on other substantive issues – such as adjustment to the effects of the climate crisis, the just transition for those impacted by the move to a green economy and how to build institutional capacity in developing countries – proceeded constructively, the host reported.

The host nation's chief negotiator stated the detailed part of the COP proceedings was nearing completion, and the political phase – when ministers who have the power to change their nations' stances arrive – was beginning.