Brazil is bringing its voluntary fossil-fuel transition roadmap to COP31, where it is meant to help governments turn the 2023 COP28 commitment to move away from fossil fuels into practical planning. The COP30 Presidency first presented the document on Nov. 3; its status matters: the roadmap is a non-prescriptive guide, not a new agreement for countries to negotiate.

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A guide, not a negotiated COP31 deal

The COP30 Presidency says the roadmap is voluntary and will not be subject to negotiation. It follows the COP28 global stocktake, which called for a transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems but did not set out a detailed implementation plan. Brazil’s document is intended to help countries assess their own starting points and choose a path that fits their energy systems and economies.

Its framework looks at three connected areas: energy demand, energy supply and the wider economy. That structure recognizes that shifting electricity generation alone does not address how oil, gas and coal are used in transport, industry and other parts of daily life. The roadmap also proposes a collective agenda to speed coordinated action through 2033.

The practical questions behind the roadmap

At COP31, Ana Toni, chief executive of last year’s COP presidency, described the aim as breaking a broad climate goal into smaller steps governments can use. In an Associated Press interview, she pointed to avoiding new fossil-fuel power infrastructure and removing subsidies that make fossil fuels cheaper as possible levers. The document does not impose either step on countries.

That distinction is central to what the roadmap can accomplish. It offers a shared planning framework, while leaving policy choices to national governments. Brazil’s initiative arrives as negotiators continue to debate how to implement the commitments already made, a theme also raised in UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ COP31 message.

What happens next

The roadmap does not set a single timetable or energy mix for every country. Instead, it asks governments to plan around their exposure to fossil fuels and their capacity to manage change. Its influence will depend on whether countries use that voluntary framework to produce concrete domestic policies and investments.

Sources

Associated Press, S. Fraser, S. Arasu and S. Borenstein, reporting from COP31; COP30 Presidency, roadmap scope and status; Euronews / AFP, roadmap release and COP31 discussion context.