CEE to Attend Landmark Conference on Fossil Fuel Phaseout
The Center for Earth Ethics’ Clara Chavez-Ives, Rosie Semlyen, Samira Siddique and Tory Field will be on the ground in Santa Marta, Colombia, this week for the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, hosted by the governments of Colombia and the Netherlands.
This historic conference emerged from the annual UN climate conference (COP) last fall in Belém, Brazil, where the COP30 Presidency laid out a vision to create a “roadmap” on fossil fuel phaseout. The initiative was unable to gain universal support and, since decisions at COPs are consensus-based, it stalled.
From April 24-29, 2026, the conference will gather government officials, Indigenous leaders and others from civil society in Santa Marta, Colombia. Unlike the UN climate regime, the goal of this meeting is not to agree on a negotiated outcome. Rather, it will complement phaseout efforts under the UN by focusing on implementation under three thematic pillars: overcoming economic dependence, transforming supply and demand, and advancing international cooperation and climate diplomacy. The conference leaders hope to establish a secretariat to continue this work and an academic advisory group to ensure it is grounded in science. They also plan to deliver a report to the COP30 and COP31 Presidencies.
Unlike the UN climate regime, the goal of this meeting is not to agree on a negotiated outcome. Rather, it will complement phaseout efforts under the UN by focusing on implementation under three thematic pillars: overcoming economic dependence, transforming supply and demand, and advancing international cooperation and climate diplomacy.
Unlike the Climate COPs, which attract tens of thousands of people—including numerous lobbyists from polluting industries—participation in the conference in Santa Marta will be limited. Participants will discuss the most equitable and efficient ways to phase out fossil fuels, rather than debating whether or not to do so. Therefore, only governments who are committed to phase out are invited. Since many of these countries, including Colombia (which is a major fossil fuel producer) are still dependent on fossil fuels and industry revenues, a successful conference promises to have a major impact on global climate progress.
In addition to the more than 50 countries who have already confirmed their attendance at the high-level segment of the conference, civil society is actively engaged in this process. Over the past few months, the Colombian government has invited input from civil society groups, including youth, women, Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendants via written submissions and online dialogues.
Activists have also been organizing a People’s Summit for a Fossil Free Future in the lead-up to the high-level segment to ensure that civil society, land defenders, Indigenous Peoples, trade unions, youth activists, subnational governments and academics are represented.
CEE will be participating in the People’s Summit as part of the North America and NGO delegation groups, a science and policy pre-conference, and related civil society mobilizations to phase out fossil fuels. On April 24, CEE is co-hosting a Global Ethical Stocktake (GES) event, including a mindful beach clean up, peace walk and storytelling circle.
CEE has also produced a video highlighting voices from GES dialogues in North America last year, which underscored the moral imperative to transition away from fossil fuels. With North American leadership falling behind, it is more necessary than ever to uplift these calls for fossil fuel phaseout, environmental justice and global solidarity.
