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The climate chief, the minister, has urged all nations to show the courage needed to address the imperative of a global transition away from fossil fuels, labeling the development of a detailed plan as an “moral” response to the climate crisis.

The minister emphasized, though, that involvement in this process would be optional and “self-determined” for interested nations.

This issue remains one of the most debated subjects at the UN climate summit in Brazil, with countries split over if and in what way such a roadmap can be discussed. Hosting the event, Brazil has adopted a carefully neutral position on what can be placed on the formal agenda.

The official expressed support for the possibility of a plan, without explicitly committing the country to it. The minister remarked: “When we have a situation that is very challenging, it is helpful that we have a map. But the guide does not compel us to proceed, or to advance.”

In an interview, she added: “The map is an answer to our scientific knowledge [of the climate crisis]. It is an moral response.”

Dozens of countries gathered in the host city for the UN climate summit, which is entering its second week, are seeking to determine how a worldwide transition of fossil fuels could be implemented. They hope to advance a landmark resolution reached two years ago at COP28 to “transition away from fossil fuels.”

That pledge had no a timetable or details on how it could be realized, and even though it was passed by all, some countries have later tried to disavow the pledge. Efforts last year to expand on its real-world implications were stymied by opposition from petrostates at another UN summit.

As a result, there was no mention of the transition away from carbon fuels in the final agreement of that conference.

Because of this, Brazil has been wary of demands by some countries to include the transition on the agenda for COP30. But the minister has strived behind the scenes to ensure the pledge could be talked about at the summit outside the formal agenda.

She convinced Brazil’s president, and he gave public reference repeatedly to the need to “move away from reliance on fossil fuels” at the summit of world leaders that preceded COP30, and at the start of the summit.

“This is something that we understand at some point had to be raised, because it is the only way to address the problem from the root,” Marina Silva said. “We recognise that it is not easy, and we cannot offer false hopes. Bringing up the subject is brave, and I hope [to see] this bravery from all, from producing nations and using countries.”

The nation had not started the call for a transition, she clarified, because that had been initiated at the earlier summit. Instead, it was enabling the discussions to occur in line with what certain nations desired. “We understand these subjects are delicate. We will provide the chance to discuss it,” she added.

There is not enough time at the summit to create a roadmap, a task the minister said could take a number of years because numerous nations faced complex issues around dependence on carbon-based energy, or wanted to use the revenue from selling oil and gas to finance their economic growth.

“The country raises the topic, because it is both a producer and consumer,” she noted. “But the nation is unique, because it, if it wants to, does not have to rely on fossil fuels. We have to understand that there are certain nations that depend on fossil fuels in their economic systems and lack easy solutions, and others where oil and gas are the foundation of their economy.

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

If 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 endeavor 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. “After we have criteria, a management framework can be developed; once we have a plan, and create protections to be able to establish trust in the system, I am confident that with these elements we can turn good ideas into steps that are more defined, and more tangible.”

There is no guarantee that a suggestion to begin drawing up a roadmap would be accepted at the conference, even if it does not require the official consent of the conference, which proceeds by consensus and can be hijacked by special interests. Climate experts have indicated they believe there could be backing for such a proposal from about sixty countries, but there are thought to be at least forty against. There are one hundred ninety-five nations represented at the talks.

“In spite of being the primary source of climate change, fossil fuels are about the most contentious topic there is within the international climate talks, so to see a sizable coalition of countries openly backing a path to realizing worldwide phaseout is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

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

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

Negotiations continued on the weekend on four unresolved issues that have not yet been included into the formal schedule: trade, openness, finance and how to tackle the gap between the carbon reduction countries have proposed and those needed to hold to the 1.5-degree temperature target.

The summit president pledged a “document” that would address these matters, after discussions – which have been underway since Monday – were inconclusive. The official urged nations to embrace the “mutirão” attitude, meaning one of collaboration and constructive discussion.

Progress on other key topics – such as adaptation to the impacts of the climate crisis, the fair shift for those impacted by the move to a green economy and how to strengthen governance capabilities in less developed nations – carried on productively, the host said.

Brazil’s chief negotiator said the detailed phase of the summit process was approaching the end, and the political phase – when ministers who have the power to alter their countries’ positions join – was starting.