🔗 Share this article

The climate chief, the minister, has urged all nations to show the courage needed to confront the imperative of a global fossil fuel phaseout, labeling the creation of a detailed plan as an “ethical” answer to the global warming emergency.

She emphasized, though, that involvement in this process would be optional and “independently decided” for interested governments.

The topic remains one of the most debated matters at the COP30 in Brazil, with countries divided over if and how such a roadmap can be addressed. As the host, the nation has adopted a carefully neutral position on which items can be included on the official agenda.

Silva expressed support for the potential of a plan, though not directly committing the country to it. She stated: “When we have a situation that is quite grim, it is helpful that we have a map. But the guide does not force us to travel, or to climb.”

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

Dozens of nations meeting in the host city for the UN climate summit, which is starting its next phase, are seeking to determine how a global phaseout of fossil fuels could work. They hope to advance a historic agreement made two years ago at a previous UN summit to “move away from non-renewable energy sources.”

The pledge had no a schedule or details on how it could be achieved, and although it was passed by all, some nations have later attempted to back away from the promise. Efforts last year to expand on its real-world meaning were blocked by resistance from oil-dependent nations at COP29.

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

For these reasons, Brazil has been wary of calls by certain countries to place the phaseout on the agenda for the current summit. But Silva has strived behind the scenes to make sure the pledge could be discussed at the summit outside the official agenda.

The minister won over Brazil’s leader, and he made public reference repeatedly to the need to “shift from dependence on fossil fuels” at the summit of world leaders that came before COP30, and at the start of the event.

“The issue is something that we understand at some point had to be put forward, because it is the sole way to face the issue from the source,” the minister explained. “We acknowledge that it is challenging, and we must not offer unrealistic expectations. Raising the topic is courageous, and I hope [to see] this bravery from everyone, from producing nations and consumers.”

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

There is not enough time at the summit to create a roadmap, a process the minister called could take a number of years because many nations confronted complex challenges around reliance on fossil fuels, or aimed to use the proceeds from exporting oil and gas to finance their economic growth.

“The country brings up the topic, 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 rely on fossil fuels. We have to recognise that there are some that rely on carbon energy in their economies and lack simple solutions, and others where fossil fuels are the foundation of their economic structure.

“To be fair is to be just to everyone, but the essential, basic justice is to avoid being unfair to the Earth, because it is our home.”

Should the pledge receives sufficient backing, the summit could establish a forum in which the work of drawing up a roadmap to the phaseout could start.

The endeavor would require discussions with all participating nations to the UN framework convention on climate change and criteria for how the process would unfold, the minister said. “Once we have criteria, a management framework can be developed; after we have a plan, and create safeguards to be able to build trust in the process, I believe that with these elements we can turn good ideas into actions that are clearer, and more tangible.”

There is no guarantee that a suggestion to begin drawing up a roadmap would win approval at COP30, although it may not need the formal approval of the conference, which operates by consensus and can be disrupted by special interests. COP experts have indicated they believe there could be backing for such a proposal from about sixty nations, but there are thought to be at least forty against. A total of 195 nations represented at the talks.

“Despite being the root cause of global warming, carbon-based energy are about the most divisive subject there is within the UN negotiations, so to see a chunky group of nations openly supporting a path to realizing global transition is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

“Put simply, there’s no route to a planet where temperature rise stays below 1.5 degrees in which nations cannot to talk about fossil fuel phaseout.”

“We require this language for actual in this discussion. It’s quite stupid that we talk about everything but then when fossil fuels are the actual problem.”

Negotiations carried on on the weekend on several outstanding issues that have not yet been included into the official schedule: trade, transparency, finance and how to tackle the gap between the emissions cuts countries have proposed and those required to hold to the 1.5C temperature target.

The COP30 president pledged a “note” that would cover these issues, after consultations – which have been going on since Monday – were inconclusive. The official called on nations to embrace the “mutirão” spirit, referring to one of cooperation and constructive dialogue.

Work on additional key issues – including adjustment to the impacts of the climate crisis, the just transition for those affected by the transition to a green economic system and how to build institutional capacity in developing countries – carried on constructively, the presidency reported.

The host nation's chief negotiator stated the technical phase of the COP proceedings was nearing completion, and the political stage – when government leaders who have the authority to change their countries’ positions arrive – was starting.