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Brazil’s climate chief, Marina Silva, has called on all nations to show the courage needed to address the imperative of a worldwide fossil fuel phaseout, describing the creation of a roadmap as an “moral” response to the global warming emergency.

She stressed, however, that participation in this process would be voluntary and “independently decided” for interested nations.

This issue remains one of the most contentious subjects at the UN climate summit in Brazil, with nations split over whether and in what way such a strategy can be addressed. As the host, the nation has maintained a carefully neutral stance on what can be included on the official agenda.

Silva expressed support for the possibility of a roadmap, though not explicitly pledging the country to it. The minister stated: “In times we have a terrain that is quite grim, it is good that we have a map. But the guide does not compel us to travel, or to advance.”

In an interview, she added: “The roadmap is an response to our scientific understanding [of the climate emergency]. It is an ethical response.”

Dozens of countries meeting in the host city for the global climate conference, which is entering its second week, are seeking to establish how a worldwide phaseout of fossil fuels could be implemented. They aim to build on a historic resolution reached two years ago at a previous UN summit to “move away from fossil fuels.”

That commitment lacked a schedule or details on the way it could be achieved, and although it was passed by all, several nations have later attempted to back away from the promise. Efforts last year to expand on its real-world implications were stymied by opposition from oil-dependent nations at another UN summit.

As a result, there was no reference of the shift away from fossil fuels in the outcome of that conference.

For these reasons, Brazil has been wary of demands by certain nations to place the phaseout on the agenda for the current summit. But the minister has worked hard in private to ensure the topic could be discussed at the summit apart from the official program.

The minister convinced Brazil’s leader, who gave mention repeatedly to the need to “move away from reliance on fossil fuels” at the global leaders' meeting that preceded the conference, 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 sole way to face the problem from the root,” Marina Silva explained. “We recognise that it is not easy, and we cannot offer unrealistic expectations. Bringing up the subject is courageous, and I hope [to see] this bravery from everyone, from producers and consumers.”

The nation had not started the push for a phaseout, she said, because that had been done at the earlier summit. Instead, it was enabling the talks to occur in accordance with what some nations desired. “We know these topics are sensitive. We will provide the opportunity to discuss it,” she added.

Time is insufficient at the summit to create a roadmap, a task the minister called could take a number of years because numerous nations faced complex challenges around dependence on carbon-based energy, or wanted to use the proceeds from exporting fossil fuels to fund their development.

“The country raises the topic, because Brazil is both a producing nation and consumer,” she noted. “But the nation is different, because Brazil, if it wants to, need not rely on non-renewables. We have to recognise that there are some that rely on carbon energy in their economies and lack easy solutions, and some where oil and gas are the foundation of their economy.

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

If the proposal gains sufficient support, the summit could establish a platform in which the work of drawing up a roadmap to the transition could begin.

This endeavor would require dialogue with every participating countries to the UN framework convention on climate change and guidelines for how the initiative would unfold, Silva said. “After we have standards, a management framework can be developed; after we have a plan, and create protections to be able to establish trust in the system, I believe that with these components we can transform positive concepts into actions that are more defined, and more tangible.”

There is no guarantee that a proposal to begin drawing up a roadmap would be accepted at the conference, even if it does not require the formal approval of the summit, which proceeds by consensus and can be disrupted by particular groups. Climate experts have suggested they believe there could be backing for such a proposal from about sixty nations, but there are believed to be at least 40 against. A total of one hundred ninety-five countries represented at the talks.

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

“In simple terms, there’s no path to a planet where temperature rise stays below 1.5C in which countries aren’t able to talk about ending fossil fuel use.”

“We need this wording for actual in this conversation. It’s highly illogical that we discuss all topics but that when fossil fuels are the real problem.”

Discussions continued on the weekend on several outstanding issues that have not yet been included into the formal schedule: trade, transparency, funding and how to tackle the shortfall between the emissions cuts countries have planned and those needed to keep to the 1.5C temperature limit.

The summit president pledged a “note” that would cover these matters, after consultations – which have been going on since the start of the week – were inconclusive. He called on nations to adopt the “mutirão” attitude, referring to one of collaboration and positive discussion.

Work on other key topics – including adaptation to the effects of the climate crisis, the fair shift for those impacted by the transition to a green economic system and how to build institutional capacity in less developed nations – proceeded constructively, the host reported.

Brazil’s chief negotiator stated the technical phase of the COP process was nearing the end, and the political phase – when government leaders who have the power to change their countries’ positions join – was starting.