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The climate chief, Marina Silva, has urged every country to show the courage needed to confront the imperative of a global transition away from fossil fuels, describing the development of a roadmap as an “moral” answer to the global warming emergency.

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

The topic remains one of the most debated subjects at the UN climate summit in Brazil, with nations divided over if and how such a roadmap can be discussed. As the host, the nation has maintained a carefully neutral position on which items can be included on the formal agenda.

The official voiced support for the potential of a plan, without directly pledging the country to it. The minister remarked: “In times we have a terrain that is quite grim, it is good that we have a guide. But the guide does not force us to proceed, or to advance.”

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

Dozens of nations gathered in the host city for the UN climate summit, which is starting its next phase, are aiming to determine how a worldwide phaseout of fossil fuels could work. These nations aim to build on a historic agreement reached two years ago at COP28 to “move away from non-renewable energy sources.”

That pledge had no a timetable or specifics on the way it could be achieved, and even though it was adopted unanimously, several nations have since attempted to back away from the promise. Attempts last year to elaborate on its practical meaning were blocked by resistance from petrostates at another UN summit.

As a result, there was no reference of the shift away from fossil fuels in the final agreement of COP29.

For these reasons, the host has been cautious of calls by some nations to place the transition on the agenda for COP30. But the minister has worked hard in private to ensure the pledge could be discussed at the conference outside the formal program.

She won over Brazil’s president, and he gave public reference three times to the need to “shift from reliance on fossil fuels” at the global leaders' meeting that came before COP30, and at the opening of the event.

“The issue is something that we know at a certain time had to be raised, because it is the only way to address the problem from the root,” Marina Silva explained. “We recognise that it is challenging, and we cannot sell unrealistic expectations. Raising the subject is brave, and I wish [to see] this courage from all, from producers and using countries.”

Brazil had not initiated the push for a transition, the minister said, because that had been done at COP28. Instead, it was allowing the talks to occur in accordance with what certain countries wished. “We know these topics are sensitive. We will provide the opportunity to discuss it,” the minister added.

There is not enough time at COP30 to draw up a roadmap, a process the minister said could take several years because numerous nations confronted complicated challenges around reliance on carbon-based energy, or wanted to use the revenue from selling fossil fuels to fund their development.

“The country raises the subject, because it is both a producing nation and user,” the minister noted. “But the nation is different, because it, if it wants to, need not depend on non-renewables. 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 oil and gas are the foundation of their economy.

“To be fair is to be just to everyone, but the fundamental, primordial justice is to avoid being unfair to the planet, because it is our shared home.”

Should the pledge receives sufficient backing, the summit could set up a forum in which the process of creating a roadmap to the phaseout could begin.

This process would involve discussions with every signatory countries to the UN framework convention on climate change and criteria for how the initiative would proceed, Silva explained. “After we have criteria, a governance structure can be developed; after 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 transform positive concepts into actions that are more defined, and more tangible.”

It is uncertain that a suggestion to begin drawing up a roadmap would be accepted at COP30, even if it does not require the official consent of the conference, which operates by unanimous agreement and can be hijacked by special interests. COP analysts have suggested they think there could be support for such a proposal from about 60 countries, but there are thought to be at least 40 opposed. There are 195 nations represented at the negotiations.

“Despite being the primary source of global warming, fossil fuels are about the most contentious subject there is within the international climate talks, so to see a chunky group of nations publicly supporting a path to realizing worldwide transition is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

“Put simply, there’s no path to a world where temperature rise remains below 1.5C in which countries aren’t able to discuss fossil fuel phaseout.”

“We need this language for real in this discussion. It’s quite stupid that we discuss everything but that when the main issue are the real problem.”

Discussions carried on on Saturday on four unresolved topics that have not yet been included into the formal agenda: trade, transparency, funding and how to address the shortfall between the emissions cuts countries have proposed and those required to hold to the 1.5-degree temperature limit.

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

Work on other key issues – such as adaptation to the impacts of the climate crisis, the just transition for those impacted by the transition to a low-carbon economy and how to build institutional capacity in less developed nations – carried on constructively, the presidency reported.

The host nation's lead representative stated the detailed part of the summit proceedings was approaching completion, and the political stage – when ministers who have the power to change their countries’ positions arrive – was starting.