News
08/05/26
Colombia gets ball rolling on fossil fuel shift talks
The conference offered a calmer space to discuss fraught topics and how to
convert words into actions, writes Lucas Parolin Rio de Janeiro, 8 May (Argus) —
A conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels, held in Santa Marta,
Colombia, at the end of April did not bring any new commitments to phase out
hydrocarbons, but it did look to keep the topic at the top of the climate
agenda. Delegates attended from about 60 countries, including some oil and
gas-producing nations committed to advancing energy transition talks. Countries
represented accounted for about a fifth of global oil production, a third of oil
consumption and a third of the world's GDP, according to Colombian officials.
Colombia and the Netherlands — co-hosts of the conference — were looking to push
the topic forward outside official UN channels. Despite the historic UN Cop 28
climate summit pledge in 2023 , discussions on transitioning away from fossil
fuels continue to face opposition from large hydrocarbon-producing and consuming
countries, such as China, Russia, the US and Saudi Arabia, which tend to want
the focus to be on reducing emissions, rather than fossil fuel output. These
countries were not invited because the conference was intended to work as a
‘coalition of the willing'. Only countries " already convinced and ready to work
on solutions for the transition " were invited, the Colombian environment
ministry's head of international affairs, Daniela Duran, said. Santa Marta kept
its focus on fossil fuels, according to non-governmental organisation Earth
Insight's engagement director, Juan Pablo Osornio. Participants discussed "the
input for combustion", rather than the resulting emissions, he said, adding that
this could change the way countries address the topic in future. The debate is
shifting from discussing climate change drivers — emissions — to their root
cause — fossil fuels — something largely overlooked until Dubai. The disruption
to oil and gas supplies from the closure of the strait of Hormuz could make
energy security, rather than climate change, the key driver of any acceleration
in consumer moves away from these fuels . But fossil fuels are responsible for
80pc of all global emissions, according to a study by the Energy Transitions
Commission, a global coalition of leaders from across the energy landscape
committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Some countries invited to
Santa Marta are still looking to only reduce emissions, but not necessarily
fossil fuel usage and production. Canada and Norway stuck to their positions on
production. And Nigeria — Africa's largest oil and gas producer — reiterated its
call for a just transition for developing economies, saying countries should
discuss a phase-down, not a phase-out, of fossil fuels. Safe space Santa Marta
was not a place for new commitments, but a space for productive discussions on
controversial topics. It aimed for "multilateralism without de facto vetoes"
that is "capable of translating agreements into implementation", according to
Colombia's environment minister, Irene Velez Torres. Three workstream plans were
laid down, including one to help nations develop their own voluntary transition
roadmaps. France presented one during the event, and Colombia published a draft
document, intended to work as a potential template for other countries. Brazil
is also working on one . The impact of Santa Marta on future Cop negotiations is
difficult to assess, with the Turkish Cop 31 presidency putting progress in
phasing out fossil fuels lower down the list of priorities . No country has
shown it is willing to propose putting transition on the summit agenda. But Cop
30's presidency has pledged to present a roadmap in Turkey. The ball is rolling,
Osornio said, and conversations at Santa Marta and future phase-out conferences
"will continue to push the issue of fossil fuels and will undoubtedly have an
impact within the [UN Framework Convention on Climate Change]". Send comments
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