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The climate chief, Marina Silva, has called on every country to show the courage needed to address the necessity of a worldwide transition away from fossil fuels, labeling the development of a roadmap as an “ethical” answer to the global warming emergency.

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

This issue stands as one of the most debated matters at the COP30 in the host country, with nations split over whether and how such a strategy can be addressed. Hosting the event, the nation has maintained a balanced position on which items can be included on the formal schedule.

Silva expressed support for the potential of a plan, though not directly committing Brazil to it. She stated: “When we have a terrain that is quite grim, it is good that we have a guide. But the map does not compel us to travel, or to advance.”

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

Dozens of countries meeting in Belém for the global climate conference, which is starting its next phase, are aiming to determine how a global transition of oil, gas, and coal could be implemented. These nations hope to advance a historic agreement reached two years ago at a previous UN summit to “move away from fossil fuels.”

The pledge had no a schedule or details on the way it could be realized, and even though it was adopted unanimously, several nations have since attempted to disavow the promise. 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 mention of the shift away from carbon fuels in the outcome of that conference.

For these reasons, Brazil has been wary of calls by some nations to include the transition on the schedule for COP30. But Silva has worked hard behind the scenes to ensure the topic could be talked about at the conference outside the formal program.

She convinced Brazil’s president, who gave public reference repeatedly to the need to “shift from reliance on fossil fuels” at the summit of world leaders that preceded COP30, and at the opening of the event.

“The issue is a matter that we understand at a certain time had to be put forward, because it is the only way to address the issue from the source,” Marina Silva explained. “We acknowledge that it is challenging, and we cannot sell false hopes. Raising the topic is brave, and I hope [to see] this bravery from everyone, from producers and using countries.”

The nation had not started the push for a transition, the minister said, because that had been initiated at COP28. Rather, it was enabling the talks to take place in line with what some nations desired. “We know these topics are delicate. We will give the opportunity to discuss it,” she said.

There is not enough time at COP30 to create a detailed plan, a task Silva said could take a number of years because many nations faced complicated challenges around reliance on carbon-based energy, or wanted to use the proceeds from exporting oil and gas to fund their development.

“Brazil brings up the topic, because Brazil is both a producing nation and consumer,” the minister noted. “But Brazil is different, because it, if it chooses to, need not rely on non-renewables. We have to understand that there are certain nations that rely on fossil fuels in their economic systems and lack simple alternatives, and others where oil and gas are the basis of their economy.

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

If the proposal receives enough support, the summit could establish a platform in which the work of creating a strategy 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 proceed, Silva explained. “Once we have standards, a governance structure can be drawn up; after we have a strategy, and create safeguards to be able to build confidence in the system, I believe that with these elements we can transform positive concepts into actions that are more defined, and more tangible.”

There is no guarantee that a proposal to start developing a plan would win approval at the conference, even if it does not require the official consent of the conference, which proceeds by unanimous agreement and can be disrupted by particular groups. COP experts have indicated they believe there could be backing for such a idea from about sixty nations, but there are thought to be at least forty against. A total of one hundred ninety-five nations participating at the talks.

“In spite of being the primary source of climate change, fossil fuels are about the most divisive topic there is within the UN negotiations, so to see a chunky coalition of countries publicly backing a route to realizing global transition is in itself highly significant.”

“Put simply, there’s no path to a world where temperature rise remains below 1.5C in which countries cannot to talk about fossil fuel phaseout.”

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

Discussions carried on on Saturday on several unresolved topics that have not yet been incorporated into the official schedule: commerce, transparency, finance and how to tackle the shortfall between the emissions cuts nations have proposed and those required to hold to the 1.5-degree warming limit.

A summit president pledged a “document” that would cover these matters, after consultations – which have been underway since Monday – were unresolved. He called on countries to embrace the “mutirão” spirit, meaning one of cooperation and constructive dialogue.

Progress on other substantive topics – such as adaptation to the effects of the climate emergency, the fair shift for those impacted by the transition to a green economic system and how to strengthen institutional capacity in less developed nations – carried on productively, the presidency said.

The host nation's chief negotiator said the detailed part of the COP proceedings was nearing the end, and the political phase – when ministers who have the power to alter their countries’ positions arrive – was beginning.