Colombia talks strive for a ‘coalition of the willing’ to speed fossil fuel exit
More than 50 countries are meeting in Colombia on Tuesday to push forward plans for phasing out planet-heating fossil fuels – with new urgency driven by geopolitical tensions.
A conference aimed at accelerating the phase-out of fossil fuels is now under way in Colombia, bringing together around 55 countries in the Caribbean city of Santa Marta, with high-level talks between ministers and climate envoys on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels meeting reflects mounting frustration with UN climate negotiations, which have so far struggled to produce a clear roadmap for moving away from coal, oil and gas.
Organised by Colombia and co-chaired by the Netherlands, the summit is designed as a more flexible, informal forum – one that organisers hope can unlock practical progress.
It also comes at a tense moment, as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has triggered fresh volatility in global energy markets, reinforcing the sense that the transition away from fossil fuels is not just an environmental necessity, but a strategic one.
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A coalition of the willing
Participants span a wide geographic and economic spectrum – from EU member states to countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, alongside small island nations on the front line of climate impacts.
Several major fossil fuel producers with mixed climate records – including Australia, Canada, Norway, Brazil and Mexico – are also attending and will be closely watched for signals on their future energy policies.
Notably absent, however, are some of the world's biggest hydrocarbon powers, including the US, Saudi Arabia and Russia, as well as China and India.
For Colombia's Environment Minister Irene Velez Torres, who is spearheading the initiative, that absence is not a drawback.
"We didn't expect those who are sceptical of a just transition programme to participate," she told RFI. "We invited countries that have recognised the importance and urgency of phasing out fossil fuels … in an orderly, just, but also urgent manner."
By limiting participation to more committed actors, organisers hope to foster what Velez Torres describes as "a more honest conversation" about both the opportunities and constraints countries face.
Analysts suggest the strategy could pay off. Katerine Petersen of the E3G think tank argues the summit may create momentum that eventually draws in more reluctant players. "China doesn't necessarily want to stay on the sidelines for long," she notes. "The goal is to send the signal that this is a table where it's strategically important to take a seat."
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From ambition to action
At its core, the conference is about turning broad climate pledges into concrete steps. Delegates are focusing on how to deliver a "just, orderly and equitable" transition – language first agreed at COP28 in Dubai, but still lacking detailed implementation.
A panel of leading scientists, including Johan Rockstrom and Carlos Nobre, has been convened to support governments with evidence-based guidance. A preliminary report already outlines 12 possible actions, from halting new fossil fuel extraction projects to ending subsidies and tightening regulations on industry advertising.
Colombia is also using the platform to highlight its own efforts. The government has stopped granting new hydrocarbon exploration contracts and is attempting to shift its economy away from extractive industries.
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"We must now quickly replace the extractive economy with a productive economy based on other value chains," Velez Torres says. But she is candid about the scale of the challenge, noting the country still relies heavily on oil and coal revenues and must overhaul its fiscal system.
The issue of financing looms large. Developing countries, in particular, say they cannot move forward without significant financial support.
"We cannot phase out fossil fuels without addressing the central question: who pays for the transition?" says Ryad Selmani of French NGO CCFD-Terre Solidaire, pointing to the continued profits of major energy companies.
Selma Huart of Oxfam France adds that developing nations may need between $455 billion (€393 billion) and $2.4 trillion (€2 trillion) per year by 2030, compared with roughly $35 billion (€29 billion) currently available. "Without massive, predictable, and accessible climate finance, the global phase-out of fossil fuels will remain out of reach," she warns.
Another sensitive issue under discussion is investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms, which allow corporations to sue governments over policy changes – a system critics say can discourage ambitious climate action.
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A shifting global context
While no major binding agreements are expected, the conference aims to produce a co-presidency report outlining practical solutions and areas of consensus ahead of the next UN climate summit in Turkey later this year.
Observers caution against expecting breakthroughs overnight. "We don't expect this conference to solve all the problems," Petersen says. "But a clear outline of key actions could help countries align."
What gives the Santa Marta meeting added weight is the broader geopolitical backdrop. Disruptions to energy supply chains – particularly around key transit routes such as the Strait of Hormuz – have driven up oil prices and exposed vulnerabilities in fossil fuel dependence.
For many governments, this is sharpening the case for transition. "There are other reasons to want to move away from fossil fuels: to be less vulnerable to these crises," explains Nicolas Berghmans, a climate policy researcher.
Recent policy responses reflect that shift. Around 60 countries have introduced measures linked to electrification or energy demand reduction since the latest crisis began, while others have moved to cushion consumers through subsidies or tax cuts.
The debate is increasingly framed in terms of security as well as sustainability. "Moving away from fossil fuels is not an ideological choice, but a strategic necessity," says Gaia Febvre of Climate Action Network.
Even traditionally cautious governments are adapting their message. In the UK, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband recently argued that "the era of security based on fossil fuels is over", while emphasising the need for a pragmatic transition.
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Momentum – but a long road ahead
Despite growing investment in clean energy – now roughly double that of fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas still account for more than 80 percent of global energy use. Demand continues to rise, meaning new energy sources often add to, rather than replace, existing ones.
That tension lies at the heart of the Santa Marta discussions. Many countries remain dependent on fossil fuels, while others still see them as a pathway to development.
Kumi Naidoo, head of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, challenges that logic. Investing in new fossil fuel infrastructure, he argues, risks locking countries into costly and ultimately unsustainable systems. "They will end up with stranded assets… and a worse economic situation," he says.
For Colombia and its partners, the hope is that this week's talks can begin to shift that trajectory – not through sweeping declarations, but by building a shared sense of direction.
As Velez Torres puts it, the aim is simple: to ensure countries can "decide that the time has come to radically advance an ecological agenda on energy and transition."
This article has been adapted from the original version by RFI's Géraud Bosman-Delzons and edited for clarity.