Brazilian Environment Minister Urges Boldness to Establish Fossil Energy Phaseout Plan at COP30

Brazil’s climate chief, Marina Silva, has urged all nations to show the courage needed to address the necessity of a worldwide transition away from fossil fuels, labeling the development of a roadmap as an “moral” answer to the climate crisis.

She stressed, though, that involvement in this process would be voluntary and “self-determined” for interested governments.

This issue remains one of the most debated matters at the COP30 in the host country, with countries divided over if and how such a roadmap can be addressed. As the host, the nation has maintained a carefully neutral stance on which items can be placed on the official agenda.

The official expressed support for the possibility of a roadmap, without directly committing Brazil to it. The minister remarked: “When we have a terrain that is quite grim, it is helpful that we have a guide. But the map does not force us to proceed, 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 countries gathered in Belém for the UN climate summit, which is starting its second week, are seeking to determine how a global transition of oil, gas, and coal could be implemented. They aim to advance a landmark resolution made two years ago at a previous UN summit to “move away from non-renewable energy sources.”

That pledge had no a schedule or details on the way it could be achieved, and even though it was adopted unanimously, several countries have since tried to back away from the promise. Efforts last year to expand on its practical implications were stymied by opposition from oil-dependent nations at another UN summit.

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

Because of this, Brazil has been cautious of calls by certain countries to place the phaseout on the agenda for the current summit. But the minister has worked hard behind the scenes to make sure the pledge could be discussed at the summit apart from the official agenda.

She won over the nation's president, who gave public reference repeatedly to the need to “shift from dependence on fossil fuels” at the global leaders' meeting that came before COP30, and at the opening of the event.

“This is something that we know at some point had to be raised, because it is the sole way to face the issue from the source,” Marina Silva explained. “We recognise that it is not easy, and we cannot sell unrealistic expectations. Bringing up the subject is courageous, and I hope [to see] this bravery from everyone, from producing nations and consumers.”

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

Time is insufficient at COP30 to draw up a roadmap, a process Silva said could take several years because numerous countries confronted complicated issues around reliance on carbon-based energy, or aimed to use the proceeds from exporting oil and gas to finance their development.

“The country raises the topic, because Brazil is both a producer and user,” the minister noted. “But the nation is unique, because Brazil, if it chooses to, need not depend on non-renewables. We have to recognise that there are some that rely on carbon energy in their economic systems and lack easy alternatives, and some where oil and gas are the foundation of their economic structure.

“To be fair is to be fair to all, but the essential, basic justice is to avoid being unjust to the Earth, because it is our shared home.”

If the pledge receives enough backing, the summit could establish a forum in which the work of creating a strategy to the phaseout could start.

The process would require discussions with all participating nations to the UN framework convention on climate change and guidelines for how the process would proceed, the minister said. “After we have standards, a governance structure can be developed; once we have a strategy, and establish safeguards to be able to establish trust in the system, I am confident that with these components we can turn positive concepts into steps that are more defined, and more tangible.”

There is no guarantee that a suggestion to begin drawing up a roadmap would be accepted at the conference, although it does not require the official consent of the summit, which operates by consensus and can be hijacked by particular groups. COP analysts have indicated they believe there could be support for such a proposal from about sixty nations, but there are thought to be at least 40 opposed. There are 195 countries participating at the negotiations.

“In spite of being the primary source of global warming, carbon-based energy are about the most contentious subject there is within the international climate talks, so to see a sizable group of countries publicly supporting a path to achieving global phaseout is in itself pretty groundbreaking.”

“In simple terms, there’s no route to a planet where warming remains below 1.5C in which countries aren’t able to discuss ending fossil fuel use.”

“We require this language for actual in this discussion. It’s quite stupid that we discuss all topics but then when fossil fuels are the real problem.”

Discussions continued on the weekend on several unresolved topics that have still not been included into the official agenda: trade, transparency, finance and how to tackle the gap between the emissions cuts nations have planned and those required to hold to the 1.5C warming limit.

A summit president pledged a “document” that would address these matters, after consultations – which have been underway since Monday – were unresolved. He urged nations to embrace the “mutirão” spirit, referring to one of collaboration and constructive dialogue.

Progress on additional substantive issues – including adaptation to the effects of the climate crisis, the just transition for those impacted by the transition to a low-carbon economy and how to build governance capabilities in less developed nations – carried on productively, the host reported.

Brazil’s chief negotiator said the technical part of the summit process was approaching completion, and the high-level phase – when ministers who have the power to change their countries’ positions join – was starting.