Top international scientists launch panel to guide global energy transition

A global group of leading scientists in climate, economics, and technology has launched a science-based panel to provide fast and policy-relevant advice to governments on accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels.

The Science Panel for the Global Energy Transition (SPGET) was launched on April 24, 2026 in Santa Marta, Colombia, during the First Conference for the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, which has brought together representatives from more than 56 countries. 

The panel will develop country- and sector-level milestones aligned with pathways to return global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (°C) by the end of the century, alongside recommendations for designing fossil fuel phase-out policies. Its creation follows calls made during the plenary of the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP 30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Belém, Brazil.

SPGET will be chaired by Vera Songwe, co-chair of the High Level Expert Panel on Climate Finance; Ottmar Edenhofer, director and chief economist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research; and Gilberto M. Jannuzzi of the Universidade Estadual de Campinas.

The initiative has been convened by Johan Rockström and Carlos Nobre, and has received official backing from the Brazilian COP30 Presidency. It is also supported by the Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth and Colombia’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.

The launch coincided with the unveiling of a draft fossil fuel phase-out roadmap for Colombia and a report outlining 12 actionable insights from the Ad hoc Santa Marta synthesis group.

Push for stronger global momentum

The Santa Marta conference was officially announced in November 2025 during COP30 after the final summit text omitted references to fossil fuels, prompting what organisers described as a “coalition of the willing” to create a new platform focused on phase-out efforts.

Running from April 24-29, 2026, the conference seeks to build a global coalition to phase out oil, gas and coal while advancing efforts initiated under the COP30 presidency to create a transition roadmap.

“We encourage governments and institutions to draw on the Panel’s analyses, policy briefs, and country-level engagement to strengthen nationally determined contributions, inform sectoral strategies, and accelerate implementation of just and orderly energy transitions across different national contexts,” said André Aranha Corrêa do Lago.

“We hope the Panel’s findings will also enrich multilateral debates and possible deliberations, including under the UNFCCC, and contribute to the broader scientific and policy ecosystem supporting successive rounds of ambition under the Paris Agreement.”

Colombia roadmap projects economic gains

The Colombia roadmap highlighted the economic case for transition. “What matters now is moving beyond headline targets to create credible, policy-relevant roadmaps, enabling a just and effective transition,” said Piers Forster, director of the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures at the University of Leeds and co-author of the roadmap.

“Our draft roadmap for fossil-fuel phase-out in Colombia demonstrates a clear pathway to economic and societal benefit. Average annual investment of $10.6 billion drives future net economic benefit, reaching $23 billion per year by 2050.”

The panel’s launch comes amid continued volatility in global oil prices, which organisers said underscores the energy security, economic and environmental risks of fossil fuel dependence. It aims to support countries in developing nationally grounded phase-out pathways led by independent climate councils and informed by scientific and local expertise.

“The call at COP30 made clear that we need to move faster to phase out fossil fuels. It’s good to see that momentum continues with the Santa Marta conference, where countries are coming together to shape a practical roadmap,” said Stientje van Veldhoven, Minister for Climate and Green Growth of the Netherlands.

“The latest science, including the most promising policy mixes and financing options, is essential for building those roadmaps. A Science Panel for the Global Energy Transition can help turn complex insights into clear, actionable steps for countries.”

“With emissions yet to peak, another El Niño on the horizon, and the prospect of overshooting the 1.5°C limit coming closer and closer, it has never been more important that leaders demonstrate that sensible, sustained and informed decisions on climate action can make a difference,” said Johan Rockström. “The evidence base for those decisions needs to be accessible, and that’s exactly what this panel could deliver.”

Civil society raises concerns

However, the launch also drew criticism from some civil society groups.

Lili Fuhr, fossil economy program director at the Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL), told Down To Earth that fossil fuel phase-out plans must be guided by robust science, lived experience, traditional knowledge and international law.

“We absolutely want and need the implementation of fossil fuel phase-out plans and policies to benefit from the best available science and diverse knowledge systems,” Fuhr said.

But she raised concerns about how the initiative was introduced in Santa Marta, warning that climate finance and expertise could once again remain concentrated in institutions from the Global North rather than supporting leadership in the Global South. She called for inclusive and decolonial approaches to scientific decision-making.

Fuhr also cautioned against potential conflicts of interest if the panel works closely with industry advisers, arguing that corporate influence has often delayed climate action and enabled greenwashing. She said the transition must avoid “false solutions” such as carbon capture, offsets and geoengineering, and instead prioritise measures that address the climate crisis at its source.