Cristian Retamal, Chile’s former UN climate negotiator, is in Santa Marta, Colombia, hoping this week’s gathering will help spark a new international political movement to end the fossil fuel era. From April 24–29, representatives from more than 50 countries met for the first conference dedicated to planning a transition away from coal, oil and natural gas. The stated goal is practical and equitable: cut dependence on fossil fuels and map the legal, economic and social measures needed to make that shift.
The event was convened in the wake of frustration after last year’s UN climate talks, where negotiators could not secure a binding phaseout mandate despite support from over 80 countries. Major oil and gas exporters including Russia and Saudi Arabia used their leverage to block a binding outcome. Still, Retamal argues the broad participation—ministers, civil society and technical experts—shows momentum remains even if the COP process stalled.
Co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands, delegates include climate-vulnerable states such as Pacific island nations alongside significant fossil-fuel producing democracies: Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Norway. Several EU member states and the European Commission are present. Notably absent are several of the world’s largest producers and consumers, including the United States, China, Saudi Arabia and Russia. Environmental groups such as Greenpeace and WWF have called the meeting “historic,” dubbing it a new “coalition of the willing.”
Organizers emphasize implementation. Colombian Environment Minister Irene Vélez Torres has stressed the meeting’s pragmatic focus, and the Dutch climate minister’s office declared it “implementation time,” signaling work on both supply- and demand-side measures. That includes plans to phase out fossil-fuel subsidies, estimated at roughly $920 billion a year, a key factor that keeps coal, oil and gas artificially competitive.
Renewables have surged: analysis from the energy think tank Ember shows clean energy topped global electricity demand in 2025, and renewables made up more than one-third of the world’s power mix for the first time last year. Still, experts say a full phaseout of fossil-fuel electricity and emissions will take years.
Recent spikes in oil and gas prices and supply worries tied to the Iran war have highlighted the geopolitical risks of fossil-fuel dependence. Proponents of a rapid transition argue it can reduce exposure to volatile external markets, cut toxic pollution, support steadier development and strengthen self-determination and democratic governance, says Lili Fuhr of the Center for International Environmental Law.
Speakers and participants acknowledge the scale of the challenge. Madeleine Wörner of Misereor warned there is no “magic wand” to dismantle entrenched systems overnight. Retamal expects years of negotiation to produce any binding roadmap or treaty. Delegates are wrestling with complex legal and trade questions, including the risk that companies could use investor-state dispute settlement clauses to seek compensation if assets are retired early, potentially triggering costly claims and diplomatic tensions.
Social and economic justice is central: millions of jobs and community livelihoods depend on fossil fuels, so any phaseout must include measures to protect workers and local economies. Political representation at the conference ranges from environment ministers to technical experts; Colombian President Gustavo Petro is expected to attend, while Germany sent Secretary of State Jochen Flasbarth—a choice some observers criticized as a sign of internal divisions.
Framed as a dialogue rather than a formal negotiation, the meeting brings together civil society, academics and private-sector participants, with political representatives joining in the final days. Organizers hope bridging technical, legal and political gaps can catalyze coordinated action that accelerates a just transition away from coal, oil and gas.