More than 50 countries, including Canada, are in Santa Marta, Colombia, this week for high-level talks on how to move the global economy away from oil, gas and coal.
The two-day ministerial meeting is the political centrepiece of the First Conference on Transitioning away from Fossil Fuels, co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands. It comes amid frustration among some governments and climate advocates that years of UN climate negotiations have not moved directly or quickly enough on fossil fuel production, even as oil, gas and coal remain the main drivers of global warming.
The gathering is meant to push planning forward, not to produce binding agreements. Organizers describe it as a way to build political momentum among countries willing to accelerate the transition outside the formal UN process, ahead of future global climate negotiations where financing and timelines are expected to remain difficult issues.
Why the talks matter
The central question is no longer only whether countries should transition away from fossil fuels, but how they would pay for it, how quickly it could happen and what would replace the energy systems many economies still depend on.
Stientje van Veldhoven, the Netherlands’ minister for climate policy and green growth, framed the shift as both a climate and security issue. “The conclusion is unavoidable: we must transition away from fossil fuels — not just because it's good for climate, but because it strengthens our energy independence and security,” she said.
Discussions have focused on financing for developing countries, which often face high borrowing costs and limited access to capital. Participants have also debated carbon markets, government subsidies and how to avoid repeating patterns of land use and resource extraction that have harmed communities.
Canada’s complicated role
Canada’s presence is notable because it is the largest oil and gas producer represented at the conference, according to the CBC report. Advocates welcomed Ottawa’s participation but pointed to tension between attending a fossil-fuel phaseout summit and recent domestic moves, including approval for expanded liquefied natural gas and a sovereign wealth fund that could support oil and gas projects deemed to be in the national interest.
José Bravo, executive director of the Just Transition Alliance, warned that the details of any transition will matter, especially if interim energy solutions create new environmental burdens. He raised concerns about nuclear power and the effects of uranium mining on some communities.
Colombia pushes the issue
Colombian President Gustavo Petro used the opening day to warn that the Amazon’s future is bound up with the climate crisis, saying that without the rainforest “we reach a point of no return.” He also argued that UN climate talks have fallen short and called for broader action beyond governments.
Colombia itself illustrates the challenge. Petro has pledged to halt new oil and gas exploration and steer the country toward a post-fossil fuel economy, while the country remains heavily dependent on oil and coal exports. Outside the conference, members of a mining union protested Petro and the event.
Tuvalu, a low-lying South Pacific island nation considered highly vulnerable to rising seas, is set to host the next conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels. That means the Santa Marta talks are best understood as a step in a longer political effort: a test of whether countries can turn broad agreement about moving beyond fossil fuels into practical plans, financing and deadlines.
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