On April 24-29, 2026, Colombia and the Netherlands co-hosted the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia. The implementation-focused conference gathered representatives from approximately 60 countries, with the aim of identifying and advancing pathways for a transition away from fossil fuels.

First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels

Invited conference participants included both producer and consumer countries of fossil fuels that have previously demonstrated willingness to transition, based on participation in relevant initiatives and coalitions. G7 countries, apart from Japan and the United States, sent representation to the conference. Moreover, apart from official governmental representation, non-state actors in academia, the private sector and civil society also participated in the conference.

The purpose of the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels

It is

It is not

– A sustained political platform for countries ready to deliver implementation-driven action toward an orderly phase-out of fossil fuels. – Complementary space to the UNFCCC, formally contributing to the COP30 Presidency’s roadmap while accelerating practical delivery. – An innovative, horizontal dialogue that deepens democratic climate governance through meaningful and influential participation by countries and subnational governments, civil society, and other stakeholders.

– A replacement for the UNFCCC. – A replacement for COP30 Presidency’s roadmap. – A space to convince skeptics. – A negotiation space for a new fossil fuel treaty.

The three thematic pillars of overcoming economic dependence on fossil fuels, transforming supply and demand of energy, and advancing international cooperation and climate diplomacy defined the scope of the conference.

Conference takeaways

Overcoming economic dependence

Some of the barriers to transitioning away from fossil fuels discussed at the conference were navigating the challenges of fiscal lock-in and debt-constrained fiscal space. It was also discussed how the transition requires holistic transformation of social conditions that continue to support fossil fuel dependence, and that only promoting isolated green sectors or public revenue sources is not sufficient. Many of the countries willing to move forward with the transition have domestic economic and legal structural dependencies to overcome, such as the dependence of the financial architecture on fossil fuels.

Conference participants discussed fossil fuel subsidies and misaligned financial incentives that continue to delay the transition away from fossil fuels and to renewable alternatives. Such system design impacting domestic transition can be seen in Japan, as the capacity market and the long-term decarbonization power source auction are prime examples of financial structures that support the protection of existing fossil fuel assets, even when inefficient and unrealistic. Such mechanisms require critical revision as they contradict both domestic and international commitments and practically slow down the spread of affordable and reliable renewable energy.

Transforming supply and demand

Participants of the conference recognized that individual countries face drastically different affordability and reliability risks based on their energy systems, which impacts the feasibility of reducing fossil fuel demand. Moreover, the discussions acknowledged the central role of developing future-proofed grids in the transition away from fossil fuels. Regarding supply transformation, participants acknowledged that current geopolitical and security dynamics are creating global pressure to maintain fossil fuel production.

Although most of the conference topics under the theme of transforming supply and demand were focused on domestic energy trends, participants also addressed the impact of creating an enabling international environment for the reform of financial incentives. One of the practical solutions discussed was stronger carbon pricing that covers broader sectors and geographies. Such strengthening of regulations would transform demand for imported fossil fuels and redirect funds toward domestic renewable energy infrastructure.

Advancing international cooperation and climate diplomacy

As each country is beginning to develop their practical implementation plans, participants acknowledged the need for stronger international cooperation and the importance of supporting the evolution of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as a potential pathway to enhance negotiating conditions through improved coordination with other relevant implementation platforms. Moreover, participants discussed strengthening internationally coordinated approaches to managing financial and legal dimensions, for example through revision of international investment agreements, trade rules and transition policies within investment regimes.

Post-conference steps

At the conclusion of the Santa Marta conference, it was announced that the second one will be co-hosted by Tuvalu and Ireland in 2027. It is yet unconfirmed whether Japan will attend; however, if Japan intends to align domestic policy with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement, the development of a step-by-step implementation plan is crucial.

The conference highlighted a critical gap in international climate diplomacy, as countries navigating their domestic transition roadmaps have varying resources allocated for scientifically-backed transition planning. To address this, the Science Panel for the Global Energy Transition (SPGET) was launched to aid countries to develop fossil fuel phase-out roadmaps. Gathering climate specialists from around the world, in the coming years SPGET is intended to support countries in mapping out concrete timelines and the actions required to meet their phase-out targets.

At the end of the conference, the co-hosts announced that three workstreams will be established in preparation for the second conference.

Participant countries will work on roadmaps advised by SPGET and address macroeconomic dependencies and financial architecture, as well as overall producer-consumer alignment. Some countries have already begun domestic planning, led by the example of France, which announced its roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels on April 27.

This level of clarification of concrete steps to transition away from fossil fuels highlights the absence of similar plans in countries like Japan, whose current net zero commitments for 2050 remain vague regarding implementation. It is time to establish the concrete pathways to achieve current high-level emission reduction targets, in order to ensure accountability for future generations.

Reference
1st Conference Transitioning away from Fossil Fuels, Colombia – The Netherlands (Link)
CO-HOST TAKEAWAYS ON THE FIRST CONFERENCE ON TRANSITIONING AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS SANTA MARTA, COLOMBIA (PDF)