The fossil fuel phaseout 

November 24, 2025

In the wake of the COP30 presidency’s deletion of the phrase “transition away from fossil fuels” from the latest Mutirao text, Colombia has taken a decisive stand, calling for a global phaseout of fossil fuels. The country announced an international conference in 2026 aimed at building political consensus around a “fast, fair and fully financed” transition, sending a clear message that action is urgent and unavoidable. Backed by more than 80 nations, Colombia emphasized that the world must align its policies with climate science, accelerate the managed decline of coal, oil, and gas, and ensure communities affected by the transition are supported.

Colombian officials described the call for a fossil fuel phaseout as a historic convergence of governments and social movements. “The fossil fuel phaseout is not only necessary, but inevitable,” they said, urging governments to lead the transformation while addressing the realities on the ground. The International Conference on Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, set to be held in Santa Marta on April 28-29, 2026, co-hosted with the Netherlands, will examine the legal, economic, and social aspects of the phaseout, covering issues from trade impacts and subsidy reform to renewable deployment, macroeconomic stability, energy security, and workforce transition.

The initiative builds on the Belem Declaration, endorsed by a rapidly expanding coalition including Australia, Chile, Kenya, Costa Rica, Nepal, the Netherlands, Micronesia, and Vanuatu. The declaration urges a science-aligned phaseout of fossil fuels consistent with the 1.5–1.7°C pathway, underpinned by international support, equity, and finance.

Pacific Island states highlighted the urgency, with Vanuatu warning that its survival depends on rapid action. Tuvalu cited international legal rulings, including the International Court of Justice advisory opinion, affirming that science is now legally binding. The Marshall Islands stressed that momentum is growing worldwide, even as some countries remain hesitant, making a coordinated approach essential.

Colombia’s intervention represents one of the most organized efforts yet to move the fossil fuel agenda forward, bridging governments, financial institutions, trade bodies, workers’ groups, and civil society. By convening stakeholders in Santa Marta, Colombia aims to design a blueprint for an orderly, equitable, and economically coherent transition, ensuring that the inevitable shift away from fossil fuels benefits both people and the planet.