Full Breakdown
Santa Marta Summit Launches New Coalition to Accelerate Fossil Fuel Phase-Out
4/25/2026, 6:45:26 AM
Core Event: Inaugural Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels
On 24 April 2026, about sixty nations met in Santa Marta, Colombia, for the first “Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels,” co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands. The summit seeks concrete steps to cut coal, oil and gas use and is framed as a complement to the UN COP process.
Background & Context
COP negotiations have produced limited implementation; COP30 in Brazil failed to adopt a fossil-fuel phase-out roadmap. The Iran-Israel war and Strait of Hormuz disruptions have spiked oil prices, intensifying calls for an alternative energy pathway.
Key Participants & Groups
Attendees include the EU, UK, Brazil, Canada, Nigeria, Philippines, Pakistan, Australia, Norway, Mexico and Germany, alongside scientists, indigenous representatives and NGOs. The United States, China, India and Gulf states are absent.
Data & Statistics
The coalition represents about one-fifth of global fossil-fuel supply. Colombia’s fossil sector accounts for roughly 10 % of GDP and 45 % of exports. Solar-wind share rose from 1.5 % to 9 % of the national mix (2022-2024). Researchers estimate 86 % of current oil-gas reserves must be retired for a 1.5 °C pathway.
Why It Matters
Scientists warn the 1.5 °C limit will be breached within three to five years, raising risks of extreme weather. Energy-security concerns heightened by the Iran conflict make domestic renewables attractive as a less volatile supply.
Official Statements & Responses
Environment minister Irene Vélez Torres called the summit “a new multilateralism” to move beyond the “insufficient” outcomes of thirty COPs. Dutch climate-policy chief Bastiaan Hassing said a platform is needed to discuss “the nuts and bolts” of renewable transitions. Canada’s Amélie Desmarais reaffirmed Paris-Agreement commitments while sharing a producer’s perspective. UK envoy Rachel Kyte pledged to share the United Kingdom’s transition experience. Vice-minister Luz Dary Carmona Moreno outlined three pillars: reduce dependence, reshape supply-and-demand, and reform multilateral cooperation.
Criticism & Opposition
Indigenous leader Oswaldo Muca warned that “just transition” rhetoric often fails to benefit affected communities, citing ongoing mining and deforestation. Some observers warned the absence of major emitters could render the summit ineffective.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Attendance figures vary across reports, ranging from sixty to fifty-four confirmed participants and ninety-seven invited governments. No binding treaty emerged; the final report will summarize recommendations without formal commitments.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We are not unhappy because the U.S. is not here,” — Irene Vélez Torres, Colombia’s environment minister
- “There is a clear need for a platform where we can talk about actual steps, the nuts and bolts, if you will, of the transition towards more renewable energy,” — Bastiaan Hassing, Netherlands
- “We are inevitably going to crash through the 1.5C limit within the next three to five years,” — Prof Johan Rockström, Potsdam Institute
What’s Next: Report, Follow-up at COP31, Ongoing Coalition
Colombia and the Netherlands will publish a post-summit report with actionable steps. The document is slated to inform Brazil’s roadmap ahead of COP31 in Antalya and to expand the coalition.
