Government ministers and officials from close to 60 countries are on the ground in Santa Marta for the high-level discussions at the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels.

On Monday, at events scattered across the Colombian coal-port city, some ministers began drawing up a shopping list of policies that could emerge from the gathering.

Maina Vakafua Talia, climate minister of Tuvalu, the Pacific island state set to host the second fossil fuel phase-out summit next year, said Santa Marta could mark a “turning point”, but that it must reflect the views of the most vulnerable countries and unlock finance for them.

Comment: Santa Marta marks a new chapter in climate diplomacy

Meanwhile, a group of 18 nations – made up mostly of small island states and the host country Colombia – called on the summit to recognise the “urgent need to negotiate a new international instrument” for leaving coal, oil and gas beneath the ground. 

They are pushing for the conference to back a formal negotiation process for a binding “Fossil Fuel Treaty” and to make progress on new mechanisms for international cooperation and finance, including an importers-exporters club, a global just transition fund and a debt resolution facility. 

Teresa Anderson, global lead on climate justice for ActionAid International, said UN climate talks are still essential to ensure all countries act together to tackle global warming. But, she added, “a new Treaty can act as a parallel and complementary space for those that want to move faster in key areas such as phasing out fossil fuels, just transitions and debt justice, without first having to get sign-off from all nations.”

Partner content: To phase out fossil fuels, developing countries need exit route from “debt trap”

As co-organiser of the Santa Marta conference, the Netherlands’ climate minister Stientje van Veldhoven said she hoped it “will accelerate the transition in many countries”, possibly resulting in climate plans that not only boost renewables but actually phase out fossil fuels. Countries representing 30% of global GDP and 30% of fossil fuel consumption are attending, she noted.

Van Veldhoven said the discussions at Santa Marta could hopefully be “fed into the COP process”, but that countries here must first identify where they could deliver “big wins” internationally.

Aside from a summary report and a statement from the co-chairs, the expected outcomes from Santa Marta’s high-level debates remain unclear. While this is a source of anxiety for some delegates, others say it’s a breath of fresh air compared with the rigid format of COPs.

Climate Home News will be reporting on the high-level segment of the conference on April 28 and 29, which starts at 9 am Colombia time. Please check back for updates throughout the day.

The post Santa Marta: Ministers grapple with practicalities of fossil fuel phase-out appeared first on Climate Home News.

Santa Marta: Ministers grapple with practicalities of fossil fuel phase-out

Santa Marta, Colombia, 28 April 2026 — Greenpeace is urging governments, including Australia, attending the first global effort to phase out fossil fuels to seize the current energy supply crisis to accelerate a just transition to renewable energy that protects people and builds long-term climate and energy stability.

On the eve of the conference and in response to the US-Israel war on Iran, Greenpeace activists displayed a message on the beach in Santa Marta saying: ’Renewables Power Peace’ and called on the attending countries to ‘End Fossil Fuels’. In Australia, Greenpeace activists displayed a banner in front of Sydney’s iconic Opera House, carrying the message, “Oil and gas fuel war, renewables power peace” while in Vanuatu, one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, community members painted a message, ‘Renewables power peace! End fossil fuels’.

Representatives from over 50 governments, alongside Indigenous peoples, scientists and academics, farmers and hundreds of civil society groups are attending the landmark talks.

Speaking from Santa Marta, Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “The impacts on lives and livelihoods from the illegal war on Iran by the United States of America and Israel and the spiralling energy costs hitting Pacific communities are symptoms of the same broken system: a global dependence on volatile fossil fuels. The machinery of conflict is fueled by the same industry choking our planet.

We come together in Santa Marta at an historic turning point. We recognize that true energy security cannot be built on the back of illegal wars or political power plays. To honour those caught in the crossfire of resource conflicts, we must accelerate a just transition to clean, sovereign renewables. This is our moment to choose a path of peace over a legacy of extraction, ensuring a safe and stable future for communities everywhere.”

To coincide with the First International Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Greenpeace International has produced a policy briefing outlining the core elements of a just transition and the urgent, priority actions needed from national governments and through global co-operation to make it a reality. Greenpeace will also have a delegation of climate and energy policy experts on site in Santa Marta.

Laura Caicedo, Campaigns Coordinator at Greenpeace Colombia, said: “Colombia has everything it needs to lead an energy transition based on solar and wind power. This potential is a real opportunity to move toward a more just model, with community participation and tangible benefits for people. But for this to happen, we need global finance to be unlocked so that a national roadmap can be implemented. In a context of global crisis and instability, diversifying our energy mix is not only a climate necessity, it is key to strengthening the country’s economic resilience and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.”

-ENDS-

Photos in the Greenpeace Media Library

Notes:
[1] A Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels: Policy Briefing

Media contact

Kate O’Callaghan on +61 406 231 892 or kate.ocallaghan@greenpeace.org

Landmark Santa Marta climate talks can use energy crisis as turning point to end fossil fuels

The case centers around the regulation of glyphosate, the world’s most commonly used herbicide, which researchers have linked to health problems in both animals and people.

By Lee Hedgepeth

John Durnell just wanted to make things around his St. Louis neighborhood look a little nicer. So, on occasion, he’d spray a bit of Roundup in the obvious places—along weedy sidewalks and in public spaces he thought needed a little extra attention.

Thousands of People Say Roundup Caused Their Cancer. The Supreme Court May Quash Their Lawsuits.