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The environment minister, the minister, has called on every country to demonstrate the bravery needed to address the imperative of a global fossil fuel phaseout, describing the creation of a roadmap as an “moral” answer to the climate crisis.

She stressed, though, that involvement in this process would be voluntary and “self-determined” for willing governments.

The topic remains one of the most contentious matters at the UN climate summit in Brazil, with nations divided over whether and in what way such a roadmap can be addressed. As the host, Brazil has adopted a carefully neutral position on which items can be placed on the official agenda.

Silva voiced approval for the possibility of a roadmap, without explicitly pledging Brazil to it. She stated: “When we have a situation that is very challenging, it is helpful that we have a map. But the map does not force us to travel, or to advance.”

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

Scores of nations meeting in Belém for the UN climate summit, which is entering its next phase, are seeking to establish how a global phaseout of fossil fuels could work. They hope to advance a historic resolution reached two years ago at a previous UN summit to “transition away from non-renewable energy sources.”

The pledge lacked a schedule or specifics on how it could be achieved, and although it was passed unanimously, several nations have since attempted to disavow the pledge. Efforts last year to elaborate on its practical implications were blocked by opposition from oil-dependent nations at another UN summit.

Consequently, there was no mention of the shift away from fossil fuels in the outcome of COP29.

For these reasons, the host has been wary of demands by certain countries to place the phaseout on the agenda for COP30. But the minister has strived behind the scenes to make sure the pledge could be discussed at the summit apart from the official agenda.

She won over Brazil’s president, who gave mention repeatedly to the need to “move away from dependence on fossil fuels” at the global leaders' meeting that came before the conference, and at the start of the event.

“This is something that we understand at a certain time had to be put forward, because it is the only way to face the problem from the root,” the minister explained. “We recognise that it is not easy, and we must not sell unrealistic expectations. Bringing up the topic is brave, and I hope [to see] this courage from all, from producing nations and using countries.”

Brazil had not initiated the push for a transition, she clarified, because that had been initiated at COP28. Rather, it was enabling the discussions to take place in accordance with what certain countries desired. “We know these subjects are sensitive. We will give the chance to discuss it,” the minister said.

Time is insufficient at COP30 to draw up a roadmap, a task Silva said could take a number of years because many nations confronted complex challenges around reliance on fossil fuels, or wanted to use the proceeds from selling fossil fuels to finance their economic growth.

“Brazil brings up the topic, because it is simultaneously a producer and consumer,” the minister said. “But the nation is different, because Brazil, if it wants to, need not depend on fossil fuels. We have to understand that there are some that rely on fossil fuels in their economies and lack easy alternatives, and some where fossil fuels are the foundation of their economic structure.

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

Should the proposal receives enough support, COP30 could set up a forum in which the process of creating a strategy to the phaseout could begin.

This process would involve discussions with every participating nations to the UN framework convention on climate change and criteria for how the process would unfold, Silva explained. “Once we have criteria, a governance structure can be drawn up; after we have a plan, and create safeguards to be able to build confidence in the process, I believe that with these elements we can transform good ideas into actions that are more defined, and more tangible.”

There is no guarantee that a proposal to start developing a roadmap would win approval at COP30, although it may not need the formal approval of the summit, which operates by consensus and can be disrupted by particular groups. COP analysts have indicated they think there could be support for such a proposal from about 60 nations, but there are thought to be at least forty opposed. There are 195 nations represented at the negotiations.

“Despite being the root cause of climate change, fossil fuels are about the most divisive subject there is within the UN negotiations, so to see a chunky group of countries openly supporting a route to realizing global transition is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

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

“We require this wording for actual in this discussion. It’s quite stupid that we talk about everything but then when the main issue are the real challenge.”

Negotiations continued on Saturday on several outstanding topics that have still not been included into the formal schedule: trade, transparency, finance and how to tackle the gap between the carbon reduction countries have proposed and those required to keep to the 1.5C warming target.

The summit chair pledged a “document” that would cover these matters, after discussions – which have been going on since the start of the week – were inconclusive. The official called on countries to adopt the “mutirão” attitude, meaning one of collaboration and constructive dialogue.

Work on other substantive topics – such as adaptation to the effects of the climate crisis, the just transition for those impacted by the transition to a green economic system and how to build governance capabilities in less developed nations – carried on productively, the presidency said.

The host nation's lead representative said the detailed part of the summit process was nearing completion, and the high-level stage – when government leaders who have the authority to change their countries’ stances arrive – was starting.