Kuala Lumpur declaration urges Global South to accelerate fossil fuel phase-out as war shocks expose energy risks

Civil society groups and climate experts from across South and Southeast Asia have called for a faster move away from fossil fuels, warning that geopolitical conflicts may delay but cannot stop the global energy transition.

The call comes in the form of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Climate Justice, issued on March 30, 2026 following a regional meeting ahead of the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP 31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) climate summit.

The declaration, adopted at the Southeast Asia-South Asia Preparatory Meeting for COP31 and the Santa Marta Conference held in Kuala Lumpur from March 25-27,  urges governments to strengthen international cooperation and set out a clear global roadmap to phase out coal, oil and gas. It will feed into discussions at an upcoming international conference in Santa Marta, Colombia, in April, as well as future climate negotiations.

Meanwhile, 45 countries have confirmed their participation in the Colombia conference. The list includes countries from multiple regions: in Europe—Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Slovenia, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom; in the Americas—Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Guatemala, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Uruguay, and Trinidad and Tobago; in Africa—Angola, Cameroon, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Tanzania; in Asia—the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Türkiye; and in the Pacific.

The statement comes against the backdrop of rising global instability and recent fuel price shocks linked to the war in West Asia. Campaigners say the crisis has exposed the risks of continued dependence on fossil fuels, particularly for developing economies.

Fossil fuel dependency exposed by war

The declaration argues that geopolitical tensions have laid bare Asia’s reliance on imported fossil fuels, leaving countries vulnerable to supply disruptions, rising costs and economic strain.

“War can delay, but cannot derail the transition away from fossil fuels,” said Harjeet Singh, strategic adviser to the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, arguing that global climate agreements have historically avoided directly confronting coal, oil and gas production.

Advocates said the current crisis should accelerate renewable deployment rather than push countries back toward coal. Former Malaysian lawmaker Charles Anthony Santiago said expanding solar capacity is a faster and more strategic response to energy insecurity than reopening coal mines.

Call for massive climate finance

The declaration demands large-scale climate finance flows from developed economies, arguing that existing commitments fall far short of the resources required for developing countries to pursue a just transition.

Participants called for $5.1-$6.8 trillion in climate finance by 2030, and at least $5 trillion annually in the long term to support climate action in developing countries.

They also urged wealthy nations to meet existing commitments under the UN climate framework, including delivering $300 billion annually through global climate funds and expanding grant-based finance instead of loans.

Civil society groups additionally proposed alternative funding sources such as taxes on extreme wealth, corporate polluters, maritime shipping and private aviation.

Push for fossil fuel treaty and systemic reform

A central demand of the declaration is the creation of a Fossil Fuel Treaty to complement the Paris Agreement and provide a legal framework to manage the global phase-out of coal, oil and gas.

The statement also calls for structural reforms in global governance and trade rules, including removing investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms that can prevent governments from regulating fossil fuel industries.

Participants said a “just transition” must address social inequalities and prioritise vulnerable groups including women, youth, Indigenous peoples and marginalized communities.

Adaptation, loss and damage financing

The declaration emphasises the need to dramatically scale adaptation and climate resilience financing. It calls for:

• Tripling adaptation finance by 2035

• Major new pledges to global funds such as the Adaptation Fund and Green Climate Fund in 2026

• Simplified access to climate finance for least-developed countries and small island states

It also demands that the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage be expanded to hundreds of billions of dollars annually, with rapid-response funding available after climate disasters.

Roadmap ahead of COP negotiations

Civil society organisations said they will carry the declaration’s demands to the Santa Marta conference and future climate summits, pressing governments to adopt a clear roadmap for transitioning away from fossil fuels in the run-up to global climate negotiations.

Advocates argue that addressing the debt crisis in developing countries and mobilising large-scale public finance will be essential to accelerating renewable energy deployment while tackling energy poverty across the Global South.

“The ongoing crises show that dependence on fossil fuels is both an economic and climate risk,” organisers said, adding that a people-centred roadmap for a rapid and equitable renewable energy transition must become central to upcoming COP discussions.