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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 global transition away from fossil fuels, describing the development of a roadmap as an “ethical” response to the global warming emergency.

She stressed, however, that participation in this endeavor would be voluntary and “independently decided” for willing nations.

The topic stands as one of the most debated subjects at the COP30 in the host country, with countries divided over whether and how such a roadmap can be addressed. Hosting the event, the nation has adopted a carefully neutral position on what can be placed on the official schedule.

Silva voiced approval for the potential of a roadmap, without directly committing 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 travel, or to advance.”

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

Scores of nations gathered in the host city for the global climate conference, which is starting its second week, are seeking to establish how a global phaseout of oil, gas, and coal could work. These nations hope to advance a landmark agreement made two years ago at COP28 to “move away from non-renewable energy sources.”

That commitment lacked a schedule or details on how it could be realized, and although it was passed by all, some nations have later tried to back away from the pledge. Efforts last year to elaborate on its real-world meaning were blocked by opposition from oil-dependent nations at another UN summit.

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

For these reasons, Brazil has been cautious of calls by some countries to place the transition on the schedule for the current summit. But Silva has strived in private to ensure the pledge could be talked about at the conference outside the formal program.

She convinced the nation's leader, and he gave mention repeatedly to the need to “move away from dependence on traditional energy” at the summit of world leaders that preceded COP30, and at the start of the event.

“This is a matter that we know at some point had to be raised, because it is the sole way to face the issue from the root,” Marina Silva explained. “We recognise that it is challenging, and we must not sell unrealistic expectations. Raising the topic is courageous, and I hope [to see] this bravery from all, from producing nations and using countries.”

The nation had not initiated the push for a phaseout, the minister said, because that had been initiated at COP28. Rather, it was enabling the discussions to take place in accordance with what certain countries wished. “We understand these subjects are delicate. We will provide the chance to talk about it,” the minister said.

There is not enough time at the summit to create a roadmap, a task Silva said could take a number of years because many nations confronted complex issues around dependence on carbon-based energy, or aimed to use the revenue from exporting fossil fuels to fund their development.

“The country brings up the subject, because it is simultaneously a producing nation and consumer,” she noted. “But Brazil is unique, because it, 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 economic systems and lack simple solutions, and others where fossil fuels are the foundation of their economic structure.

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

Should the proposal receives enough backing, the summit could establish a platform in which the work of creating a roadmap to the transition could begin.

The endeavor would involve discussions with every signatory countries to the UN climate treaty and guidelines for how the process would proceed, Silva explained. “Once we have criteria, a management framework can be drawn up; once we have a plan, and establish protections to be able to establish confidence in the system, I am confident that with these components we can transform good ideas into actions that are more defined, and more concrete.”

It is uncertain that a suggestion to begin developing a roadmap would win approval at the conference, even if it may not need the formal approval of the summit, which operates by unanimous agreement and can be disrupted by special interests. Climate analysts have suggested they believe there could be backing for such a proposal from about sixty nations, but there are believed to be at least forty opposed. A total of 195 nations represented at the negotiations.

“In spite of being the primary source of global warming, carbon-based energy are about the most divisive topic there is within the international climate talks, so to see a sizable group of countries publicly backing a route to achieving worldwide transition is in itself highly significant.”

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

“We need this wording for actual in this discussion. It’s quite stupid that we discuss all topics but then when fossil fuels are the real problem.”

Discussions carried on on Saturday on several outstanding issues that have not yet been included into the official schedule: trade, transparency, funding and how to tackle the gap between the emissions cuts nations have proposed and those required to hold to the 1.5C temperature limit.

A COP30 president pledged a “note” that would cover these issues, after discussions – which have been underway since Monday – were unresolved. He called on countries to embrace the “mutirão” attitude, referring to one of cooperation and constructive dialogue.

Progress on additional key issues – such as adaptation to the impacts of the climate crisis, the fair shift for those impacted by the transition to a green economic system and how to strengthen institutional capacity in developing countries – carried on productively, the host reported.

The host nation's chief negotiator stated the technical part of the summit process was approaching the end, and the political stage – when ministers who have the power to change their nations' positions join – was beginning.