Nearly 60 Nations Agree on Fossil Fuel Phase-Out Plans at Colombia Summit

Participants emphasized that renewables offer energy security and sovereignty, shielding countries from geopolitical volatility. Simon Stiell, the UN’s climate chief, said the fossil fuel crisis is supercharging the global renewables boom. Military advisers highlighted renewables as a route to national security.

Oil-importing countries discussed accelerating the switch to renewables to avoid future shocks. Oil-exporting nations, including Colombia, explored building revenue from non-fossil sources. A draft plan for Colombia envisions cutting fossil fuel use by 90% by 2050, relying mostly on private investment and public bank loans.

Major fossil fuel producers like the United States, China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia were absent from the summit. The US has worked to spoil climate diplomacy under the Trump administration. Despite this, attendees expressed hope, viewing the event as a complementary space to UN talks without fossil fuel lobby influence.

Colombia faces domestic challenges, with a presidential election at the end of May pitting ruling party candidate Iván Cepeda against far-right populist Abelardo de la Espriella, who supports increasing fracking and oil production. Other participating countries, such as the Netherlands, Brazil, and the UK, have ongoing fossil fuel expansion plans.

The conference avoided new finance pledges, noting a prior $300 billion annual commitment by 2035 from rich countries at COP29 in 2029, though the US has withdrawn its contribution. Suggestions included diverting $1.5 trillion in annual fossil fuel subsidies and imposing windfall taxes on profiting companies.

Countries are expected to start drafting national roadmaps before the next conference, co-hosted by Ireland and Tuvalu early next year. These plans aim to attract investors and ensure a fair transition for workers and vulnerable groups.

“We need three transitions: out of fossil fuels, into renewable energy for all, and into a world that cares for nature. All must be grounded in justice.”

The summit featured workshops with input from scientists, civil society, and parliamentarians, without vetoes or fractious negotiations. Irene Vélez Torres, Colombia’s environment minister, described it as the beginning of a new global climate democracy.

Participants called the approach historic but acknowledged it as a starting point. Claudio Angelo of the Observatorio do Clima said the process helps countries organize plans but does not immediately threaten the fossil fuel industry. Fernanda Carvalho of WWF International noted it as a bottom-up initiative centering affected communities.

Mary Robinson stressed the need for justice in the transitions. The event in coal-fueled Santa Marta highlighted the shift from fossil dependence, with locals reporting coal washing up on beaches from nearby mines.