Colombia’s Anti-Fossil Fuel Conference
Colombia hosted a climate summit in Santa Marta focused on transitioning away from fossil fuels, co-organized with the Netherlands and held outside the U.N. framework due to prior diplomatic gridlock. The conference brought together dozens of countries to discuss national plans for phasing out fossil fuel use and advancing renewable energy adoption. Discussions emphasized economic planning, energy security, and the financial risks of delaying the green transition, particularly for fossil fuel-dependent nations.
- ▪The International Conference on the Just Transition Away From Fossil Fuels was held in Santa Marta, Colombia, on April 28, 2026.
- ▪Colombia and the Netherlands co-hosted the summit, which took place outside the U.N. climate process following a failed consensus at COP30 in Brazil.
- ▪Over 80 governments supported national plans to move away from fossil fuels at COP30, but the proposal was blocked by countries including Russia and Saudi Arabia.
- ▪France presented a plan to eliminate coal by 2030, oil by 2045, and gas by 2050, while Colombia explored a 90% reduction in fossil fuel use by 2050 with support from U.K. advisors and the University of Leeds.
- ▪The summit emphasized energy security and economic resilience, with participants discussing strategies for fossil fuel exporters to diversify revenue and importers to avoid energy shocks.
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Latin America Brief A one-stop weekly digest of politics, economics, technology, and culture in Latin America. Delivered Friday. Colombia’s Anti-Fossil Fuel Conference The country is trying to push for a green transition despite gridlock at U.N. climate talks. Osborn-Catherine-foreign-policy-columnist15 Catherine Osborn By Catherine Osborn, the writer of Foreign Policy’s weekly Latin America Brief. Van Veldhoven and Velez stand in front of a blue wall showing the name and logo of the conference, both smiling slightly toward out-of-focus audience members in the foreground. Veldhoven is wearing a pink pantsuit and Velez is wearing a black and white striped sleeveless pantsuit.
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