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The climate chief, the minister, has urged every country to show the courage needed to confront the imperative of a global fossil fuel phaseout, describing the development of a detailed plan as an “ethical” response to the global warming emergency.

The minister emphasized, however, that participation in this endeavor would be optional and “independently decided” for interested nations.

The topic remains one of the most contentious subjects at the COP30 in Brazil, with nations divided over whether and how such a strategy can be addressed. As the host, the nation has adopted a balanced position on which items can be included on the official schedule.

Silva expressed support for the potential of a roadmap, without explicitly committing the country to it. She stated: “When 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, the minister noted: “The map is an response to our scientific knowledge [of the climate emergency]. It is an moral response.”

Dozens of nations gathered in the host city for the global climate conference, which is starting its second week, are seeking to establish how a worldwide transition of oil, gas, and coal could be implemented. These nations hope to build on a landmark resolution reached two years ago at COP28 to “move away from fossil fuels.”

That pledge had no a schedule or details on how it could be achieved, and although it was passed by all, several nations have later tried to back away from the promise. Attempts last year to expand on its real-world meaning were stymied by opposition from oil-dependent nations at COP29.

As a result, there was no reference of the shift away from fossil fuels in the final agreement of that conference.

Because of this, Brazil has been wary of calls by certain countries to place the transition on the schedule for the current summit. But Silva has strived in private to ensure the topic could be talked about at the summit apart from the formal program.

She won over the nation's leader, and he gave mention three times to the need to “move away from dependence on traditional energy” at the summit of world leaders that came before COP30, and at the opening of the event.

“This is something that we know at some point had to be raised, because it is the only way to address the problem from the root,” Marina Silva explained. “We acknowledge that it is not easy, and we cannot sell unrealistic expectations. Raising the subject is brave, and I wish [to see] this courage from everyone, from producing nations and consumers.”

The nation had not started the call for a transition, the minister clarified, because that had been done at COP28. Instead, it was allowing the discussions to take place in accordance with what some countries desired. “We know these subjects are delicate. We will give the opportunity to talk about it,” the minister said.

Time is insufficient at COP30 to draw up a detailed plan, a task the minister said could take a number of years because many nations confronted complicated issues around dependence on carbon-based energy, or aimed to use the revenue from exporting fossil fuels to finance their development.

“Brazil brings up the subject, because Brazil is simultaneously a producing nation and user,” she noted. “But the nation is unique, because Brazil, if it wants to, does not have to depend on fossil fuels. We have to recognise that there are certain nations that depend on fossil fuels in their economic systems and lack easy alternatives, and others where oil and gas are the foundation of their economy.

“To be fair is to be just to everyone, but the essential, primordial justice is not being unjust to the Earth, because it is our shared home.”

If the pledge receives enough backing, the summit could establish a forum in which the process of drawing up a strategy to the transition could begin.

The process would involve discussions with every participating countries to the UN framework convention on climate change and guidelines for how the process would unfold, the minister said. “Once we have standards, a governance structure can be drawn up; after we have a plan, and establish protections to be able to build confidence in the system, I am confident that with these components we can transform positive concepts into steps that are clearer, and more concrete.”

It is uncertain that a suggestion to begin drawing up a plan would win approval at COP30, even if it does not require the official approval of the conference, which proceeds by consensus and can be hijacked by particular groups. Climate analysts have indicated they think there could be backing for such a proposal from about 60 countries, but there are believed to be at least 40 against. A total of one hundred ninety-five countries participating at the talks.

“In spite of being the primary source of climate change, fossil fuels are about the most contentious subject there is within the international climate talks, so to see a chunky group of nations publicly backing a path to achieving worldwide phaseout is in itself highly significant.”

“In simple terms, there’s no path to a planet where temperature rise stays below 1.5C in which countries aren’t able to talk about fossil fuel phaseout.”

“We need this language for actual in this conversation. It’s highly illogical that we talk about all topics but then when the main issue are the actual challenge.”

Negotiations continued on the weekend on four outstanding topics that have still not been incorporated into the official agenda: commerce, openness, finance and how to address the gap between the emissions cuts countries have proposed and those required to keep to the 1.5-degree temperature target.

The summit president promised a “note” that would cover these issues, after discussions – which have been going on since Monday – were unresolved. He urged countries to embrace the “mutirão” spirit, meaning one of cooperation and constructive discussion.

Progress on additional substantive topics – such as adjustment to the impacts of the climate emergency, the just transition for those impacted by the move to a low-carbon economic system and how to strengthen institutional capacity in less developed nations – carried on constructively, the host said.

The host nation's chief negotiator stated the detailed phase of the summit process was nearing the end, and the high-level phase – when ministers who have the power to alter their nations' positions join – was beginning.