Brazil unveils global roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels ahead of COP31

Brazil has introduced the world’s first global roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels, establishing a voluntary framework designed to guide international energy transitions. The initiative emerged as the final item from last year’s UN COP climate summit host nation, arriving just before leadership transitions to Türkiye and Australia next week, Euronews reports.

During the COP30 conference held in Belem in 2025, the final agreement omitted explicit references to fossil fuels following intense pushback from major oil-producing nations such as Saudi Arabia and Russia. In response, Brazilian hosts formulated an alternative voluntary path for countries looking to move away from oil, gas, and coal. Released on 3 November, the document states that transitioning away from these energy sources is urgent, inevitable, and achievable.

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Nations are now being urged to commence planning for this voluntary phaseout, though the document explicitly acknowledges that there is no single solution suitable for every country, Euronews says. Instead, administrations are encouraged to tailor measures to their specific circumstances. Alongside this energy initiative, Brazil also published a separate framework targeting an end to deforestation by 2030.

Understanding the new global roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels

According to Euronews, the energy proposal outlines a collective agenda spanning three distinct phases between 2028 and 2033, during which participating countries are expected to formulate transition strategies and transform their energy systems. This builds upon the landmark text adopted by nearly 200 nations at the COP28 summit in Dubai in 2023, which called for moving away from fossil fuels within energy systems.

Ana Toni, chief executive of COP30, emphasised during a media briefing that the transition is inevitable and advised governments to start planning immediately for the benefit of their economies and societies. Nevertheless, current national policies remain insufficient to meet the targets agreed upon in Dubai.

As attention shifts to the upcoming 2-week COP31 conference in the Turkish Mediterranean resort of Antalya – beginning on Monday, 9 November – officials indicate that a formal new agreement on fossil fuels is unlikely. 

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Türkiye and Australia are instead promoting a voluntary programme focused on boosting electrification to reduce emissions. However, critics caution that without explicit energy source definitions, electrification could inadvertently facilitate fossil fuel expansion rather than clean renewable growth. 

While Brazilian officials confirmed that the global roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels will be discussed in Antalya on 10 November, they stressed that their initiative serves as an independent call to action rather than a negotiating text for COP31.