Over 50 nations will meet in Colombia to discuss phasing out fossil fuels, as war-driven energy shocks highlight global dependency and climate urgency
SANTA MARTA: More than 50 nations are gathering for a world-first conference on phasing out fossil fuels next week.
The meeting in Colombia comes as war-driven energy shortages underscore global dependency on coal, oil and gas.
Ministers will arrive against a backdrop of soaring fuel prices and a major oil supply shock. The International Energy Agency has called the current crisis the biggest supply shock ever.
Organisers say the energy shock has strengthened the case for a fossil fuel phaseout. This is despite some countries looking to coal in the short-term to secure supplies.
Analysts expect energy security concerns to shape the high-level discussions as much as climate priorities.
Colombia’s environment minister Irene Velez Torres said the meeting has taken on “greater relevance” with the crisis. Her country is co-hosting the event with the Netherlands.
Major fossil fuel producers Australia, Canada and Norway are expected to attend. They will be joined by developing oil giants Angola, Mexico and Brazil.
Coal-reliant emerging markets Turkey and Vietnam will also participate alongside dozens of other nations.
However, the world’s biggest coal, oil and gas producers are skipping the event. The United States, China, Saudi Arabia and Russia will not be present.
The conference will be closely watched for political signals from an emerging coalition. This group of producers and consumers is pushing for a phaseout outside the UN process.
Colombia said the participating countries account for one-fifth of global fossil fuel production. They also represent nearly one-third of global consumption.
Some governments and activists have questioned the involvement of producer nations. Fossil fuel interests have been accused of influencing UN climate negotiations.
Climate scientist Bill Hare said a larger group of countries could dilute the outcome. “The larger the group of countries, the more diffused the interests are and the less chance you’ve got of getting a sharp outcome,” he told AFP.
Velez Torres argued it was a “major step forward” to have producer countries present. She described the topic as a “taboo” that needs open discussion.
“We need to start a more honest space where we can discuss this more openly, and bring all cards to the table,” she said.
For some, the conference’s appeal is its distance from the consensus-based UN climate talks. “I think the Santa Marta meeting is long overdue,” said Maina Talia, climate minister of Tuvalu.
Roughly twice as much investment now goes into clean energy as fossil fuels. Emissions from burning coal, oil and gas, however, rose again in 2025 to a record high.
In response to the energy crisis, some countries intend to ramp up coal use. This underlines the challenge of reducing reliance on fossil fuels even in advanced economies.
Vanuatu’s Climate Minister Ralph Regenvanu said the crisis was a clear call to lessen dependence. “We’re very much looking forward to being first movers in this space,” he said.
Nearly 200 countries agreed at COP28 in 2023 to transition away from fossil fuels. Efforts to turn that pledge into action have faced strong resistance since.
Tensions boiled over at COP30 in Brazil when nations could not agree to include an explicit fossil fuel reference. The Santa Marta meeting is seen as an opportunity for motivated nations to take concrete steps forward.
Analyst Beth Walker said the conference could start to create its own legitimacy and momentum. “There’s a lot of difficult questions and issues to grapple with, but this is an important conversation,” she told AFP.
No major announcements are expected from the two-day meeting. The conference’s recommendations will feed into a voluntary “roadmap” away from fossil fuels being led by Brazil.
