Brazil outlines plan to end fossil fuels
Brazil publishes first global ‘roadmap’ for phasing out fossil fuels
Wednesday, 4 November 2026
Photo by Declan Sun on Unsplash
Warm-up
- How fast should countries move away from coal, oil and gas?
- What climate steps are realistic for your country now?
- Do international plans help, or do national plans work better?
Vocabulary
- roadmap
- a plan that shows the main steps to reach a goal
- phase out
- to remove or stop something gradually over time
- implement
- to put a plan or decision into action
- benchmark
- a standard or point used to measure progress
- timeline
- a schedule showing when actions should happen
- coalition
- a group of countries or people joining for a shared aim
- deforestation
- the cutting down of forests, often on a large scale
- flaring
- burning off gas from oil and gas sites as a safety step
Reading
Listen to this story
British EnglishBrazil has published what it calls the first global roadmap to phase out fossil fuels. As host of Cop30, it wants UN climate talks to move from negotiating new promises to implement targets already agreed. The documents are not binding, set no timelines or benchmarks, and ask countries to diagnose their dependence on coal, oil and gas before choosing policies.
André Corrêa do Lago, the Cop30 president, said ministries such as finance, transport, energy and infrastructure should lead the work. One roadmap focuses on transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable way; the other targets halting and reversing deforestation. Suggested steps include rapidly cutting the flaring and venting of gas at extraction sites.
Some experts welcomed the move but warned about limits. Joeri Rogelj of Imperial College London said the plans lack timelines and key benchmarks, making the pace of change unclear for meeting the Paris goal of keeping warming well below 2C, preferably 1.5C. Brazil’s effort sits alongside a separate coalition from Santa Marta, where nearly 60 countries began national roadmaps; Germany, France and the Netherlands have already set out more specific, prescriptive plans. Cop31 is scheduled in Antalya, Turkey.
Comprehension
- What has Brazil published about fossil fuels?
- What change does Brazil want in UN climate talks?
- What weakness did Joeri Rogelj highlight?
- What two areas do Brazil’s roadmaps cover?
- How do Santa Marta national plans differ from Brazil’s?
Grammar focus
Mixed conditionals
Mixed conditionals join two times. 1) Past condition → present result: If + past perfect, ... would + verb (now). 2) Present condition → past result: If + past simple, ... would have + past participle (then). (Examples constructed.)
- If the plans had included benchmarks, progress would be clearer now.
- If talks were unified, countries would have set targets earlier.
Practise this grammar: Unreal conditionals (B2)
Grammar exercise
Complete each sentence using "would".
- If ministries had coordinated, targets (appear) ___ clearer now.
- If benchmarks had been set, progress (look) ___ steadier now.
- If countries were aligned, policies (implement) ___ earlier.
- If plans were binding, deforestation (slow) ___ earlier.
- If gas flaring had been cut, emissions (remain) ___ lower now.
Discussion
- Should a global roadmap be binding, or is flexibility better?
- How useful are timelines and benchmarks in climate policy?
- Which step from the text could your country implement first?
- Do coalitions of willing countries speed up real change?
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