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The climate chief, Marina Silva, has urged all nations to show the bravery needed to confront the necessity of a worldwide transition away from fossil fuels, describing the creation of a roadmap as an “ethical” answer to the global warming emergency.

She emphasized, though, that involvement in this endeavor would be optional and “independently decided” for interested nations.

This issue stands as one of the most debated subjects at the UN climate summit in the host country, with nations divided over if and how such a strategy can be discussed. As the host, Brazil has adopted a balanced position on what can be included on the official schedule.

Silva expressed support for the possibility of a roadmap, without explicitly committing the country to it. The minister remarked: “In times we have a terrain that is very challenging, it is good that we have a guide. But the map does not force us to travel, or to advance.”

In an interview, the minister noted: “The map is an response to our scientific knowledge [of the climate crisis]. It is an ethical response.”

Dozens of countries meeting in the host city for the UN climate summit, which is starting its second week, are seeking to establish how a global transition of oil, gas, and coal could work. They hope to build on a landmark resolution reached two years ago at COP28 to “move away from non-renewable energy sources.”

The commitment had no a schedule or specifics on how it could be achieved, and although it was adopted unanimously, several countries have later attempted to back away from the promise. Efforts last year to elaborate on its practical implications were stymied by resistance from petrostates at another UN summit.

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

Because of this, Brazil has been wary of calls by certain nations to place the phaseout on the agenda for the current summit. But Silva has worked hard in private to make sure the topic could be discussed at the conference apart from the official program.

She convinced the nation's president, and he made mention repeatedly to the need to “move away from reliance on traditional energy” at the global leaders' meeting that preceded COP30, and at the start of the event.

“The issue is something that we know at a certain time had to be raised, because it is the sole way to address the issue from the source,” the minister said. “We recognise that it is not easy, and we must not sell false hopes. Raising the subject is brave, and I hope [to see] this courage from everyone, from producing nations and consumers.”

Brazil had not started the push for a transition, the minister said, because that had been done at the earlier summit. Rather, it was allowing the discussions to occur in accordance with what certain countries desired. “We know these topics are delicate. We will provide the chance to talk about it,” she said.

There is not enough time at COP30 to create a detailed plan, a task the minister called could take a number of years because many nations confronted complex challenges around dependence on carbon-based energy, or aimed to use the proceeds from selling fossil fuels to finance their development.

“The country brings up the subject, because it is both a producer and consumer,” she noted. “But the nation is different, because Brazil, if it wants to, need not depend on fossil fuels. We have to understand that there are certain nations that depend 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 fair is to be just to everyone, but the fundamental, primordial justice is to avoid being unjust to the Earth, because it is our home.”

If the proposal receives enough backing, the summit could set up a forum in which the process of drawing up a strategy to the phaseout could start.

This process would involve discussions with every participating countries to the UN framework convention on climate change and guidelines for how the process would proceed, the minister explained. “After we have standards, a management framework can be drawn up; after we have a plan, and establish safeguards to be able to build trust in the system, I am confident that with these elements we can transform good ideas into actions that are more defined, and more concrete.”

It is uncertain that a suggestion to begin developing a plan would be accepted at COP30, although it does not require the formal approval of the summit, which operates by unanimous agreement and can be hijacked by special interests. Climate analysts have indicated they believe there could be backing for such a idea from about sixty nations, but there are believed to be at least 40 against. A total of 195 countries participating at the talks.

“Despite being the primary source of global warming, carbon-based energy 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 achieving worldwide phaseout is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

“In simple terms, there’s no path to a world where warming remains below 1.5 degrees in which nations aren’t able to talk about ending fossil fuel use.”

“We require this language for real in this discussion. It’s highly illogical that we discuss everything but then when the main issue are the actual challenge.”

Discussions carried on on Saturday on several outstanding topics that have not yet been included into the official agenda: trade, openness, funding and how to tackle the shortfall between the emissions cuts countries have proposed and those needed to keep to the 1.5-degree warming target.

The COP30 chair pledged a “note” that would cover these matters, after discussions – which have been going on since Monday – were unresolved. The official called on countries to adopt the “mutirão” spirit, meaning one of cooperation and constructive discussion.

Progress on additional key issues – such as adaptation to the impacts of the climate crisis, the just transition for those affected by the transition to a low-carbon economic system and how to strengthen governance capabilities in less developed nations – carried on constructively, the presidency reported.

The host nation's chief negotiator said the detailed part of the summit proceedings was nearing completion, and the high-level phase – when government leaders who have the power to alter their nations' stances join – was starting.