Santa Marta Summit Sets Global Agenda for Fossil-Fuel Phase-Out

On 27-28 April 2026, Santa Marta, Colombia, hosted the inaugural global summit dedicated to phasing out fossil fuels. Co-organized by Colombia and the Netherlands, about 60 governments—including Brazil, Germany, Canada, Nigeria, France, Australia and Norway—met, while the United States, China, India and Gulf producers stayed away.

Exiting fossil fuels key to energy security: nations at Colombia talks

Delegates cited growing frustration with the UN COP process, where consensus-based talks have repeatedly failed to embed fossil-fuel language. After COP28’s pledge to transition, later COPs produced no binding roadmap, prompting Petro and van Veldhoven to convene this summit.

Reuters

President Gustavo Petro opened, warning that “fossil fuels lead to death” and questioning capitalism’s adaptability. Dutch minister van Veldhoven stressed sharing steps. French envoy Benoît Faraco unveiled a roadmap to end coal by 2027 and oil and gas. Voices Berman, Muhamad and Nacpil highlighted debt concerns.

Reuters

Delegates flagged $1.5 trillion in annual fossil-fuel subsidies as a barrier to renewables. African sovereign debt has doubled to over $1 trillion, limiting fiscal space for medicines, fertilizers and clean-energy imports, underscoring the need for debt-relief and subsidy reform.

The Guardian

Discussions proposed repurposing subsidies, tightening banking rules to “close off the financial oxygen for fossil fuels,” and creating instruments favoring electricity over gas. The French roadmap offers concrete timelines; other nations debated binding versus voluntary treaty language.

The Guardian

Petro warned of a “suicidal” capitalist model. Van Veldhoven called the Middle-East war a “reality check” for energy security. Faraco framed France’s plan as becoming “the electricity Saudi Arabia of Europe.” Roberts urged redirecting subsidies; Robins called for climate-risk regulation.

Countries frame energy transition as a security matter at Santa Marta fossil fuel exit conference

Berman warned that many global-south producers expand fossil output to service debt. Muhamad stressed fiscal dependency hampers essential imports. Nacpil praised the summit’s acknowledgment that a just transition is impossible while nations remain shackled by predatory, unsustainable debts.

The Guardian

Some delegates pushed for a legally binding treaty; others preferred non-binding pledges. The summit’s capacity to mobilize new financing remains unclear, and the absence of the United States, China and Gulf producers limits its global representativeness.

Nations meet in first fossil fuel exit talks

• “There is inertia in the power and the economy of this archaic form of energy – fossil fuels – that lead to death.” — Gustavo Petro, President of Colombia

The Guardian

• “We want to be the electricity Saudi Arabia of Europe, selling green electrons to the UK, Ireland, Germany and other countries.” — Benoît Faraco, French Climate Envoy

The Guardian

• “Tzeporah Berman, founder and chair of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, said: “There are many fossil-fuel producing countries in the global south that are being pushed into expanding fossil fuel production just to feed their debt.” — Tzeporah Berman, Founder, Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative

The Guardian

• “but it requires…accelerating transitions away from fossil fuels.” — Johan Rockström, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research

NPR

The summit will draft a proposal on pathways to phase out fossil fuels, with a follow-up conference slated for Tuvalu. Organizers hope the dialogue spurs subsidy reform, debt-relief mechanisms and eventually a binding treaty.

NPR