🔗 Share this article

Brazil’s climate chief, Marina Silva, has urged every country to demonstrate the courage needed to address the necessity of a worldwide fossil fuel phaseout, labeling the development of a roadmap as an “ethical” answer to the global warming emergency.

The minister emphasized, however, that participation in this process would be voluntary and “self-determined” for interested governments.

The topic remains one of the most contentious matters at the UN climate summit in the host country, with countries divided over whether and how such a strategy can be discussed. Hosting the event, Brazil has adopted a carefully neutral stance on which items can be placed on the formal agenda.

The official voiced approval for the potential of a plan, though not explicitly committing Brazil to it. She stated: “In times we have a terrain that is quite grim, it is good that we have a map. But the guide does not force us to proceed, or to climb.”

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

Scores of nations meeting in the host city for the UN climate summit, which is starting its next phase, are aiming to determine how a worldwide transition of oil, gas, and coal could be implemented. These nations aim to build on a landmark agreement made two years ago at COP28 to “move away from fossil fuels.”

The commitment had no a schedule or details on the way it could be achieved, and although it was passed unanimously, some nations have later attempted to back away from the pledge. Attempts last year to expand on its real-world meaning were stymied by opposition from petrostates at COP29.

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

For these reasons, the host has been cautious of demands by some nations to include the transition on the agenda for the current summit. But the minister has strived in private to ensure the pledge could be discussed at the conference outside the official program.

She won over the nation's president, and he gave mention three times to the need to “move away from dependence on fossil fuels” at the summit of world leaders that preceded COP30, and at the start of the summit.

“This is something that we know at some point had to be put forward, because it is the sole way to face the problem from the source,” Marina Silva said. “We acknowledge that it is not easy, and we must not offer false hopes. Bringing up the topic is courageous, and I hope [to see] this courage from everyone, from producers and consumers.”

The nation had not started the call for a transition, the minister clarified, because that had been initiated at the earlier summit. Instead, it was allowing the talks to occur in line with what some nations desired. “We understand these subjects are delicate. We will give the opportunity to talk about it,” the minister added.

There is not enough time at the summit to create a roadmap, a process the minister said could take several years because many countries faced complicated issues around dependence on fossil fuels, or wanted to use the proceeds from exporting fossil fuels to fund their economic growth.

“Brazil brings up the subject, because it is both a producing nation and user,” she noted. “But the nation is unique, because it, if it wants to, does not have to rely on fossil fuels. We have to recognise that there are certain nations that depend on carbon energy in their economies and don’t have simple alternatives, and others where oil and gas are the basis of their economy.

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

If the pledge gains sufficient support, COP30 could establish a forum in which the process of creating a strategy to the transition could start.

The endeavor would require dialogue with all signatory countries to the UN climate treaty and criteria for how the process would unfold, Silva explained. “Once we have criteria, a management framework can be developed; after we have a strategy, and create protections to be able to build confidence in the system, I am confident that with these elements we can turn positive concepts into steps that are clearer, and more tangible.”

It is uncertain that a suggestion to start developing a plan would be accepted at COP30, although it may not need the official consent of the summit, which proceeds by unanimous agreement and can be hijacked by particular groups. Climate experts have indicated they believe there could be support for such a idea from about sixty nations, but there are believed to be at least forty against. A total of one hundred ninety-five countries participating at the talks.

“In spite of being the root cause of global warming, fossil fuels are about the most divisive topic there is within the international climate talks, so to see a sizable group of countries publicly supporting a path to realizing worldwide phaseout is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

“In simple terms, there’s no path to a world where warming stays below 1.5 degrees in which nations cannot to talk about ending fossil fuel use.”

“We require this language for real in this conversation. It’s highly illogical that we discuss everything but then when the main issue are the actual problem.”

Negotiations carried on on Saturday on four unresolved topics that have not yet been included into the formal agenda: trade, openness, finance and how to address the shortfall between the emissions cuts countries have proposed and those needed to keep to the 1.5-degree warming target.

The COP30 chair promised a “document” that would address these matters, after discussions – which have been going on since the start of the week – were inconclusive. The official urged countries to adopt the “mutirão” attitude, meaning one of cooperation and positive discussion.

Progress on other key issues – such as adaptation to the effects of the climate crisis, the just transition for those impacted by the transition to a green economy and how to build institutional capacity in developing countries – proceeded constructively, the host said.

Brazil’s lead representative said the technical phase of the summit process was nearing completion, and the political stage – when government leaders who have the authority to change their nations' positions join – was beginning.