Brazilian Environment Minister Urges Boldness to Create Fossil Fuel Phase-out Plan at COP30

The climate chief, Marina Silva, has urged all nations to show the bravery needed to confront the necessity of a worldwide transition away from fossil fuels, labeling the development of a detailed plan as an “moral” answer to the climate crisis.

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

The topic stands as one of the most debated subjects at the UN climate summit in the host country, with nations divided over whether and in what way such a strategy can be discussed. Hosting the event, the nation has maintained a balanced position on which items can be placed on the formal schedule.

Silva voiced support for the potential of a roadmap, though not explicitly pledging the country to it. She remarked: “In times we have a situation that is very challenging, it is good that we have a map. But the guide does not force us to travel, or to advance.”

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

Scores of nations gathered in Belém for the UN climate summit, which is starting its next phase, are aiming to determine how a worldwide transition of fossil fuels could work. They hope to advance a landmark resolution made two years ago at a previous UN summit to “move away from non-renewable energy sources.”

That commitment lacked a timetable or details on the way it could be realized, and even though it was passed by all, some nations have since tried to back away from the promise. Attempts last year to expand on its real-world implications were stymied by resistance from oil-dependent nations at COP29.

Consequently, there was no reference of the transition away from fossil fuels in the final agreement of COP29.

Because of this, Brazil has been cautious of demands by certain countries to include the transition on the agenda for the current summit. But the minister has strived in private to ensure the topic could be talked about at the conference outside the formal agenda.

She convinced Brazil’s president, who made mention repeatedly to the need to “shift from reliance on traditional energy” at the global leaders' meeting that preceded COP30, and at the opening of the event.

“This is a matter that we know at a certain time had to be raised, because it is the only way to face the issue from the source,” the minister said. “We acknowledge that it is challenging, and we must not offer false hopes. Raising the topic is courageous, and I hope [to see] this courage from all, from producing nations and consumers.”

Brazil had not started the call for a transition, she said, because that had been initiated at the earlier summit. Instead, it was allowing the discussions to occur in line with what certain nations desired. “We know these subjects are sensitive. We will give the opportunity to talk about it,” the minister added.

Time is insufficient at the summit to create a roadmap, a process the minister said could take several years because many nations faced complex challenges around reliance on fossil fuels, or aimed to use the proceeds from exporting fossil fuels to fund their development.

“The country raises the subject, because it is both a producing nation and consumer,” the minister noted. “But Brazil is unique, because Brazil, if it chooses to, does not have to rely on non-renewables. We have to recognise that there are some that rely on carbon energy in their economies and don’t have simple solutions, and others where fossil fuels are the foundation of their economy.

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

If the pledge receives sufficient backing, the summit could set up a platform in which the work of drawing up a roadmap to the phaseout could begin.

The process would require discussions with all participating countries to the UN framework convention on climate change and criteria for how the initiative would proceed, Silva explained. “Once we have criteria, a management framework can be drawn up; once we have a strategy, and create safeguards to be able to establish trust in the process, I am confident that with these elements we can transform positive concepts into actions that are clearer, and more concrete.”

There is no guarantee that a proposal to start drawing up a roadmap would be accepted at the conference, although it may not need the official approval of the conference, which proceeds by unanimous agreement and can be disrupted by particular groups. COP analysts have indicated they believe there could be support for such a proposal from about sixty countries, but there are believed to be at least forty against. A total of 195 nations represented at the negotiations.

“Despite being the root cause of global warming, fossil fuels are about the most divisive subject there is within the UN negotiations, so to see a sizable group of nations openly supporting a path to achieving worldwide phaseout is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

“Put simply, there’s no route to a world where temperature rise remains below 1.5 degrees in which nations cannot to discuss fossil fuel phaseout.”

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

Discussions continued on Saturday on four unresolved topics that have not yet been included into the formal agenda: trade, transparency, finance and how to address the gap between the emissions cuts countries have proposed and those needed to hold to the 1.5C temperature limit.

The COP30 chair pledged a “note” that would address these issues, after discussions – which have been going on since the start of the week – were inconclusive. He urged nations to embrace the “mutirão” attitude, referring to one of cooperation and positive dialogue.

Progress on other substantive topics – including adaptation to the effects of the climate emergency, the fair shift for those impacted by the transition to a green economy and how to build governance capabilities in developing countries – carried on constructively, the presidency reported.

Brazil’s lead representative stated the detailed part of the summit proceedings was nearing completion, and the political phase – when ministers who have the power to change their countries’ positions join – was starting.