At COP31, Brazil unveils global plan to move countries away from fossil fuels

Brazil presented this Tuesday (10) at COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, its Roadmap for the transition away from fossil fuels, a voluntary roadmap for each country to reduce dependence on oil, gas, and coal at its own pace. The plan received support from UN Secretary-General António Guterres at a plenary event of the climate conference.

The document was prepared by the Brazilian presidency of COP30, held in Belém (a city in the Brazilian Amazon), and released last week. The presentation in Antalya was led by Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, COP30 Executive Director Ana Toni, and Environment Minister João Paulo Capobianco.

What the Roadmap proposes

The roadmap creates no obligations. The idea is to offer a model for each government to assess its dependence on fossil fuels and chart its own exit route. The suggested first step is to diversify energy supply and carry out an orderly reduction of fossil fuel production. After that, countries should review fossil fuel subsidy programs.

Guterres argued that importing countries should reduce their exposure to oil by expanding access to clean energy, and that producers should diversify their economies. In his view, each national plan needs deadlines, designated responsibility, and financing. UN climate chief Simon Stiell said renewables can reduce exposure to volatile fossil fuel prices, amid an energy crisis linked to the war in Iran.

"Wherever you are, start now and don't wait," Ana Toni told countries. Capobianco said the roadmaps "reaffirm Brazil's confidence in multilateralism." Representatives from Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and Germany, along with former U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, supported the text, according to AFP news agency, cited by O Povo.

Why the plan was left out of official negotiations

The proposal is a response to the impasse in Belém. At COP30, oil-producing countries led by Saudi Arabia blocked the inclusion of a fossil fuel roadmap in the final decision. That is why Brazil pushed the document forward on its own, outside the formal negotiating agenda. The reference is the commitment made at COP28 in Dubai in 2023 to move the world away from fossil fuels.

Along with the energy roadmap, Brazil presented a second roadmap aiming to reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030, as reported by Agência Brasil.

The Turkish presidency of COP31 is promoting another voluntary initiative: raising the share of electricity to 35% of energy consumption by 2035. Former minister Marina Silva, who attended the event, questioned the idea, according to O Tempo: "Electrification is a concrete opportunity, but we need to ask: electrify with what energy?"

What changes in Brazil

At home, the government is preparing its own roadmap. On November 6, the National Energy Policy Council (CNPE, its Portuguese acronym) approved 18 guidelines for a National Roadmap to gradually reduce fossil fuel dependence, according to the Ministry of the Environment. A working group coordinated by the Ministry of Mines and Energy will have 270 days, extendable by 90, to complete the document, which will undergo public consultation. The guidelines include the effects on energy prices and tax revenue, and a review of subsidies and incentives in the sector.

The country starts from a different position than the global average. According to the National Energy Balance, renewable sources accounted for 49.5% of Brazil's energy matrix in 2025, versus a global average of 14.5% in 2023. The proposal, however, coexists with the defense of oil exploration in the Equatorial Margin, an offshore oil exploration area that includes the Foz do Amazonas basin, a contradiction pointed out in reports on the event.

President Lula is expected to attend the COP31 leaders' summit, scheduled for Wednesday (11) and Thursday (12). Brazil's pavilion at the conference runs until November 20.