Fossil fuel producers Canada, the UK, Norway, Angola, Mexico, Brazil, Senegal and Australia are among 45 countries confirmed to take part in a global meeting in Colombia to progress discussions on the transition away from fossil fuels, according to Colombia's environment minister Irene Torres.
"These countries are strategically important because they reflect the diversity of the fossil fuel supply chain, accounting for approximately one-fifth of global production and nearly one-third of global consumption," Torres said. The conference was announced during the UN climate Cop 30 conference in Belem last year and will be held in Santa Marta on 24-29 April. Torres said the countries taking part will launch a global coalition aimed at accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels.
Countries vulnerable to the climate crisis, such as island nations of Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Palau and the Marshall Islands, will be present. Countries reliant on fossil fuel imports, such as Germany, France, Italy, Vietnam, Cameroon and Cambodia will be present, as will the EU and the Cop 30 and 31 respective presidencies, Brazil and Turkey.
The Cop 30 presidency is drafting a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels, after calls to include it in the outcome of the Belem summit were rejected. The document should be ready in time for Cop 31 in Antalya, Turkey, although it is unclear what the next steps will be when is released.
"Despite our differences, all participants agree on the need to prioritise science and to move forward, urgently and in a coordinated manner, toward phasing out the production and consumption of natural gas, coal, and oil," Torres said. The conference will serve as a forum to build consensus and demonstrate "the will to act on this transition", she said.
The conference comes as energy security concerns are to fore again, because of oil and gas supply disruptions resulting from the US-Israel war on Iran.
"The meeting aims to create favourable conditions for moving toward concrete agreements and strengthening co-operation among countries with different economic and energy situations," Torres said.
She said the broad representation "underscores the diversity of perspectives". Among fossil fuel producers present, only the UK and Denmark have committed to end licensing, although the former will continue to allow tie-backs to existing fields and the latter is considering extending one or more licences until 2050.
Brazil, the largest oil producer in Latin America, is due to publish a fossil fuel phase-out plan imminently after missing a self-imposed February deadline. It has said developed countries should take the lead when it comes to "the definition of schedules for transitioning away from fossil fuels".
Mexico, the second-largest oil producer in Latin America, joined Colombia in signing a declaration pushing for a transition away from fossil fuels during Cop 30.
Canada, the world's fourth largest oil producer, has focused efforts on the phase-out of fossil subsidies and reducing emissions in the sector but has no plans to phase out production of fossil fuels. Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has recently been pushing his country's large oil and gas resource base abroad, pledging more infrastructure is forthcoming. Norway has repeatedly said it is not planning to phase out oil and gas, but the Green party has pushed for a commission looking at the oil transition to be set up in December, as part of a deal to pass the country's budget.
African producers such as Angola — the continent's second largest producer — are likely to continue focusing on the "just transition" aspect, including climate finance and technology transfer and reducing its dependency on oil revenues. Angola said it is planning to keep production steady until at least 2027, after years of battling declining output.
