The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, involving government representatives from 59 countries, was held over April 24–29 in Santa Marta, Colombia. The conference was called in the wake of the United Nations COP30 climate summit’s failure to mention fossil fuels in its final documents and commit to concrete actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The first of a planned series of conferences over the coming years, the conference brought together governments willing to commit to national roadmaps for transitioning away from fossil fuels and develop a Fossil Fuel Treaty — a binding international agreement.
The proposed treaty centres around three pillars:
First, accelerating a just transition to diversified, accessible and renewable energy.
Second, a non-proliferation agreement to ensure an end the expansion of oil, gas and coal.
Third, an equitable phase-out that winds down existing fossil fuel use, predominantly implemented by wealthy countries that provide support for others to do so.
A preliminary report — written by 24 scientists and presented to governments ahead of the conference — included recommendations to halt all new fossil fuel expansion, phase out fossil fuel subsidies and reject gas as a “transition” fuel and carbon capture and storage as a scalable solution.
Colombia — the world’s sixth-biggest coal exporter — published a draft roadmap during the conference and established a scientific advisory panel.
In recent months, the Colombian government has moved to halt at least 300 proposed fossil fuel projects and banned extraction in the Amazon region.
However, the track records of other countries attending exposes their lack of real commitment to transitioning away from fossil fuels.
For example, the Dutch government approved new gas extraction projects in the North Sea the same week it was co-hosting the conference in Santa Marta.
France was the first Global North country to commit to a national roadmap to phase out fossil fuels and end fuel exploration in its territory. However, it remains committed to expanding oil and gas extraction in its colonial territories overseas.
Australian government representatives attended the conference, even though it is overseeing a massive expansion of fossil fuel projects, particularly gas, and the country is the second-biggest exporter of greenhouse gas emissions.
The high-level talks produced little tangible outcomes, however, countries agreed to work on national roadmaps to present at next year’s conference in Tuvalu.
Activists, scientists and Indigenous people organised a People’s Summit for a Fossil Free Future in Santa Marta in the days preceding the conference.
This coalition officially launched the People’s Declaration for a Rapid, Equitable, and Just Transition for a Fossil-Free Future, described as a “definitive blueprint for a just transition grounded in human rights, energy democracy, and climate justice”.
The declaration outlined 15 principles for a just transition, such as: fairness and equity, based historical responsibility for climate change; addressing energy poverty and universal access; democratic governance of land, water and natural resources; mobilising adequate and just finance; international solidarity and cooperation; and system change.
It called for immediate, concrete actions: a complete equitable and just phase-out of fossil fuels to reach global real zero emissions by 2050; a rapid transition to 100% renewable energy; and a comprehensive just transition.
Finally, the declaration emphasised that a truly just transition requires “no less than deep and far-reaching system change” brought about by grassroots movements.
“Forged in struggle, our movements must stay the course and advance the bigger and strategic fight for the systemic transformation of societies, economies and political systems — at all levels — global, regional, national and local.
“This is the path towards true climate justice and the liberation of all peoples from dispossession, exploitation, discrimination, ecological devastation and the inequities and human rights violations that oppress us all.”