Brazilian Minister Urges Courage to Develop Fossil Energy Phaseout Roadmap at UN Climate Summit

Brazil’s environment minister, Marina Silva, has urged every country to show the bravery needed to address the imperative of a worldwide transition away from fossil fuels, describing the development of a detailed plan as an “ethical” response to the global warming emergency.

The minister stressed, though, that involvement in this process would be voluntary and “self-determined” for willing nations.

This issue remains one of the most debated matters at the UN climate summit in the host country, with countries divided over if and how such a strategy can be addressed. Hosting the event, Brazil has maintained a balanced position on what can be included on the official schedule.

Silva expressed approval for the potential of a roadmap, though not directly committing Brazil 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 force us to travel, or to advance.”

In an interview, she noted: “The roadmap is an answer to our scientific knowledge [of the climate emergency]. It is an ethical 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 global phaseout of oil, gas, and coal could be implemented. They aim to build on a historic agreement reached two years ago at COP28 to “move away from fossil fuels.”

That commitment lacked a schedule or details on how it could be realized, and even though it was passed unanimously, several countries have later attempted to back away from the pledge. Attempts last year to elaborate on its practical implications were stymied by opposition from oil-dependent nations at COP29.

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

For these reasons, Brazil has been cautious of demands by some countries to include the transition 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 program.

She won over the nation's president, who gave mention repeatedly to the need to “move away from reliance on fossil fuels” at the summit of world leaders that preceded COP30, and at the opening of the event.

“The issue is something that we know at a certain time had to be put forward, because it is the only way to face the issue from the root,” Marina Silva explained. “We acknowledge that it is challenging, and we cannot offer unrealistic expectations. Raising the subject is brave, and I wish [to see] this bravery from everyone, from producing nations and using countries.”

Brazil had not started the call for a transition, the minister said, because that had been done at COP28. Instead, it was allowing the talks to take place in accordance with what some countries desired. “We understand these topics are delicate. We will give the opportunity to talk about it,” the minister added.

Time is insufficient at the summit to create a roadmap, a task Silva said could take several years because many countries faced complicated issues around dependence on carbon-based energy, or aimed to use the proceeds from exporting fossil fuels to fund their development.

“The country brings up the subject, because it is simultaneously a producing nation and user,” she noted. “But Brazil is unique, because Brazil, if it chooses to, need not rely on fossil fuels. We have to understand that there are certain nations that rely on carbon energy in their economies and don’t have easy alternatives, and some where oil and gas are the foundation of their economic structure.

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

If the pledge gains enough backing, the summit could set up a platform in which the work of creating a roadmap to the transition could begin.

This process would involve dialogue with all signatory countries to the UN framework convention on climate change and criteria for how the process would proceed, Silva explained. “After we have criteria, a management framework can be developed; once we have a plan, and establish protections to be able to establish confidence in the process, I am confident that with these components we can transform good ideas into steps that are clearer, and more concrete.”

There is no guarantee that a suggestion to begin developing a plan would be accepted at COP30, although it does not require the official approval of the summit, which proceeds by unanimous agreement and can be disrupted by particular groups. COP analysts have suggested they think there could be backing for such a idea from about 60 nations, but there are believed to be at least forty against. A total of one hundred ninety-five nations participating at the talks.

“In spite of being the root cause of climate change, carbon-based energy are about the most contentious topic there is within the UN negotiations, so to see a chunky group of countries publicly backing a path to realizing worldwide phaseout is in itself highly significant.”

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

“We require this wording for actual in this conversation. It’s quite stupid that we discuss all topics but that when the main issue are the real problem.”

Discussions continued on the weekend on several outstanding topics that have still not been included into the official schedule: commerce, openness, finance and how to tackle the shortfall between the carbon reduction nations have planned and those needed to keep to the 1.5C warming target.

A COP30 president pledged a “note” that would address these issues, after discussions – which have been going on since Monday – were unresolved. The official called on countries to embrace the “mutirão” spirit, meaning one of cooperation and constructive discussion.

Work on additional substantive topics – including adaptation to the impacts of the climate emergency, the just transition for those impacted by the move to a green economic system and how to strengthen institutional capacity in developing countries – proceeded productively, the presidency said.

Brazil’s lead representative stated the detailed part of the COP proceedings was approaching the end, and the political stage – when government leaders who have the authority to alter their countries’ positions join – was starting.