Cristian Retamal, Chile’s former negotiator at the annual UN climate talks, hopes this week’s conference in Colombia will spark a new global political movement. Retamal is in Santa Marta, on Colombia’s northern coast, where representatives from more than 50 countries are meeting for the first-ever conference on transitioning away from the fossil fuels that are heating the planet.
The meeting, running April 24–29, aims to produce a practical, equitable plan to reduce dependence on coal, oil and natural gas and to identify the legal, economic and social measures needed for that shift. It was convened amid frustration with last year’s UN climate summit, where despite backing from over 80 countries, negotiators failed to secure a binding mandate to phase out fossil fuels after a veto by major petrostates.
Retamal said the broad turnout — from grassroots actors to national governments — shows global recognition that the fossil fuel era must end. “In the ’90s, climate became an issue at the UN level because a few countries decided to start working on that and pushing for the UN system to address the issue,” he told DW, adding he hopes the Colombia talks could play a similar catalytic role.
The meeting’s participants include not only climate-vulnerable nations such as Pacific Island states, but also significant fossil fuel producers: Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Norway. Several EU countries, including Germany and France, and the European Commission are represented. Major producers like the US, China, Saudi Arabia and Russia are not attending, but environmental groups, including Greenpeace and WWF, have hailed the gathering as a “historic” coalition of the willing.
Organizers emphasize implementation over rhetoric. A spokesperson for Stientje van Veldhoven-van der Meer, the Dutch minister of climate and green growth, told DW: “It is implementation time, no more discussions on ambitions.” The Netherlands and Colombia say the talks will explore how to both decrease supply and demand for fossil fuels and chart measures such as phasing out fossil fuel subsidies.
Renewable energy has seen rapid growth in recent years. Led by solar deployment in China and India, clean sources exceeded global electricity demand in 2025, according to energy think tank Ember. Renewables — solar, wind, hydropower and other clean sources — accounted for more than one-third of the world’s electricity mix for the first time last year. Still, a worldwide phaseout of fossil fuel power remains distant: fossil fuels continue to be subsidized by roughly $920 billion a year, making them artificially cheaper.
The recent Iran war and resulting spike in oil and gas prices exposed how vulnerable countries and economies remain when tied to fossil fuels, whether for energy or revenue. That instability is part of what organizers say makes a transition urgent. “Transitioning away from fossil fuels reduces exposure to both external dependencies and to toxic pollution, enables more stable development and strengthens self-determination and democracy,” said Lili Fuhr, director of the Fossil Economy Program at the Center for International Environmental Law.
Yet participants stress there is no quick fix. Madeleine Wörner, a climate and energy expert at German aid organization Misereor, warned the talks are not “a magic wand” to clear long-standing obstacles. Retamal conceded it may take years to agree on a binding roadmap or treaty. Delegates will discuss not only when and how to wind down fossil fuels, but also complicated legal and trade questions tied to such a massive transition.
Wörner pointed to investor-state dispute settlement clauses as one legal risk: corporations could seek compensation for lost profits if fossil fuel assets are forced to close earlier than planned. Such claims could be costly and might spark bilateral disputes. Equally important are the social and economic dimensions: millions of people globally depend on the fossil fuel industry for livelihoods, and any phaseout must ensure they are not left behind.
Co-hosts Colombia and the Netherlands are sending climate ministers, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro is expected to attend. Germany is represented by Jochen Flasbarth, secretary of state for the environment, a lower-level delegation than some critics hoped. “It’s a shame that the German government isn’t represented at the highest level,” Wörner said, noting Germany’s coalition has struggled to present a unified climate stance.
The conference is designed as a dialogue rather than a negotiation. Starting Friday, civil society groups, academics and private sector representatives will explore potential solutions; political representatives will join in the final two days. By the close, organizers hope it will be clearer what a nascent movement for a managed global transition away from fossil fuels can actually achieve.
This article was originally written in German.