Can Countries Create a Roadmap for Ditching Fossil Fuels?
More than 50 countries will discuss a Fossil Fuel Treaty and a just transition, with 600 written submissions already received, organizers said.
- Colombia and The Netherlands co-host the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels starting Friday in Santa Marta, aiming to implement a managed, financed, and equitable phaseout independent of United Nations rules.
- Santa Marta responds to the limitations of the United Nations process, as the journal Nature Climate Change describes the world as living in the "Overshoot age," with a clear pathway to a fossil-free future remaining elusive after nearly 30 summits.
- Covering Climate Now founders Kyle Pope and Mark Hertsgaard described more than 50 participating countries as a "Coalition of the willing" that will phase out $7 trillion in annual fossil fuel subsidies, focusing on implementation and action.
- Negotiations for a Fossil Fuel Treaty to facilitate a "Just transition" that protects workers are central to the debate; Daniela Duran of Colombia's environment ministry noted organizers have received more than 600 written submissions proposing solutions.
- The "We are still in" coalition represents 75% of U.S. GDP despite President Donald Trump pulling the U.S. out of the United Nations climate regime; Mark Hertsgaard noted more than 55 U.S. counties, states, and universities support the conference.
18 Articles
18 Articles
The First-Ever Conference to End Fossil Fuels Has to Address Militarism, Too
We cannot separate fossil fuels from the ongoing U.S. and Israeli war on Iran. The volatility surrounding the Strait of Hormuz has shaken the global economy, restricting the passage of oil from the largest producers in the Gulf region. The economic costs of this illegal, unjust, and unpopular war are mounting alongside the heartbreaking human costs — including troops lost and thousands killed… Source
Can Countries Create a Roadmap for Ditching Fossil Fuels?
Aerial view of solar panels powering Hernan Sarmiento's grocery store in Santa Marta, Magdalena department, Colombia, on April 20, 2026. —Luis Acosta—Getty ImagesMore than 50 countries are meeting today in Santa Marta, Colombia, for the first international conference on phasing out fossil fuels—in what could prove to be a global turning point for global climate action. “This is the first serious attempt to center fossil fuels in global climate c…
The World's First Conference to End Fossil Fuels Must Address Militarism, Too
We cannot separate fossil fuels from the ongoing U.S. and Israeli war on Iran. The volatility surrounding the Strait of Hormuz has shaken the global economy, restricting the passage of oil from the largest producers in the Gulf region. The economic costs of this illegal, unjust, and unpopular war are mounting alongside the heartbreaking human costs — including troops lost and thousands killed throughout Iran and Lebanon. But there’s also a rapid…
While more than 50 governments are meeting this week in Santa Marta, Colombia, for the first international conference on energy transition and the abandonment of fossil fuels, human rights issues are not on the agenda.
During the Climate Summit (COP30) hosted by Belém (Brazil) in November 2025, a large group of 85 countries called for the final declaration of the conference to include an ambitious road map to abandon fossil fuels. Finally, the initiative did not succeed due to the blockade of the gas and oil powers. Colombia and the Netherlands, two of the nations that led the veto proposal, announced in Belém their intention to organize a meeting in April 202…
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