After the deletion of “transition away from fossil fuels” in the latest Mutirao text put out by the COP30 presidency in the early hours of November 21, Colombia pushed for a global phaseout of fossil fuels, announcing an international conference next year to build political consensus around a “fast, fair and fully financed” transition.
Backed by over 80 countries, Colombia’s message was unequivocal: the world must align with climate science, accelerate the managed decline of coal, oil and gas, and ensure communities are protected throughout the transition.
At a packed press briefing, Colombian officials said the call for a fossil fuel phaseout was now being driven by both governments and social movements, describing it as a historic convergence. “The fossil fuel phaseout is not only necessary, but inevitable,” they declared. “Governments must address what is happening on the ground and lead the transformation.”
The centrepiece of Colombia’s announcement is the International Conference on Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, to be held in Santa Marta on April 28-29, 2026, co-hosted with the Netherlands. Framed as a complementary process to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the conference will explore the legal, economic and social dimensions of phasing out fossil fuels — from trade impacts and subsidy reform to macroeconomic stability, energy security, renewable deployment, and labour transitions.
The initiative stems from the Belem Declaration, endorsed by a rapidly expanding group of nations including Australia, Chile, Kenya, Costa Rica, Nepal, the Netherlands, Micronesia and Vanuatu. The declaration calls for a science-aligned phaseout of all fossil fuels within a 1.5-1.7°C pathway, underpinned by international support, finance and equity.
The Netherlands hailed the partnership with Colombia, emphasising that the world can no longer afford to delay structural economic shifts. Dutch officials highlighted national examples — the closure of the Aruba refinery with green subsidies and the upcoming ban on coal-fired electricity — as proof that accelerated transition policies can be designed responsibly and at scale. “We share these examples not to boast, but to show what can be built on,” the Dutch representative said. “International cooperation is essential for a just transition.”
Pacific Island states delivered some of the most powerful interventions, underscoring the human stakes of inaction. Vanuatu warned that its survival hinges on a rapid fossil fuel phaseout, urging countries to build a political coalition capable of advancing the agenda “regardless of what happens inside the UNFCCC.” Its representative declared: “We are already drowning. But we will not give up and we will never give up.”
Tuvalu, an early advocate of a global Fossil Fuel Treaty, said the science is now legally binding following the International Court of Justice advisory opinion and other international rulings. “We must take climate science and laws seriously,” the delegate said. “The safest, most effective pathway is a negotiated Fossil Fuel Treaty.”
The Marshall Islands highlighted the breadth of political support for the Belem initiative: “The momentum is here. Countries from around the world are mandating us to launch this roadmap. Some countries aren’t there yet, but we will not wait — the transition is inevitable.”
Colombia’s intervention marks one of the most coordinated attempts yet to organise an international process around the phaseout of fossil fuels — a subject that has repeatedly stalled inside UNFCCC negotiations. By convening governments, financial institutions, trade bodies, workers’ organisations and civil society, the Santa Marta conference aims to develop the blueprint for an orderly, equitable and economically coherent transition.
With growing numbers of countries signalling readiness to move beyond fossil fuels — and others firmly resisting — Colombia is positioning itself as a bridge-builder capable of shaping the next phase of global climate diplomacy. As officials put it: “Our commitment is to future generations. The world must prepare for the inevitable transformation ahead — and ensure it is fair.”