First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels

RITURAJ PHUKAN

In a week from now, Santa Marta, Colombia will host the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, marking an important step in efforts to eliminate fossil fuel dependence. This event was announced by the governments of Colombia and The Netherlands during the stalemate in negotiations at the 30th Conference of Parties (COP30) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)in Belem, Brazil in November 2025.

For over thirty years, international climate negotiations have primarily addressed greenhouse gas emissions without sufficiently tackling the underlying issue of continued coal, oil, and gas expansion. Although the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement serve as critical platforms for global climate policy, their consensus-driven approach enable obstructionists supported by polluting sectors to delay crucial steps needed to reduce fossil fuel production.

The historic First International Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels will take place from 24-29 April 2026. The conference will advance international cooperation on transitioning away from fossil fuel extraction while reinforcing the objectives of the Paris Agreement and aligning with the recent Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, which confirmed that States have a legal obligation to protect the climate, including by addressing fossil fuel production, licensing and subsidies.

The announcement of the new initiative at COP30 was accompanied by the launch of the “Belém Declaration on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels”, supported by 24 countries, aligning with the host country’scall to develop a global roadmap for a just and equitable transition plan at the international level. Significantly, the COP30 Presidency backed the announcement of the Santa Marta conference, thereby affirming the failure of the negotiations under the existing frameworks.

The First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels is intended to provide a strategic forum for dialogue among diverse stakeholders, including government officials, subject matter experts, rural and Indigenous communities, civil society organisations, climate advocates, industry representatives, and academic professionals. The summit is organised to promote comprehensive and systemic transformations, with the objective of enabling a planned, equitable, and sustainable transition away from fossil fuels, while addressing the imperative for fundamental change within our socioeconomic systems.

The concept of a global conference is informed by the positive outcomes of prior diplomatic summits that facilitated enhanced international collaboration to address significant global challenges. Notable examples include the Ottawa Conference on land mines, the Oslo Conference concerning cluster munitions, and the deliberations surrounding the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The latter featured three conferences under the Humanitarian Initiative, which redefined nuclear weapons discourse from a security perspective to a humanitarian one, ultimately leading to productive resolutions within the United Nations General Assembly.

Eighteen nations have joined this initiative and are actively engaged in negotiations for a Fossil Fuel Treaty intended to complement the Paris Agreement. The effort is supported by an extensive international network comprising health professionals, youth activists, social justice advocates, and civil society leaders. Additionally, the movement includes Indigenous representatives, businesses, municipalities, subnational governments, and more than one million individuals globally.

The First International Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels will be complemented by the People’s Summit for a Fossil Free Future, the civil society convening at Santa Martafrom 24^th to the 26th of April.The People’s Summit will serve as a space for civil society coordinated by a broad coalition of over 900 organisations and networks, reflecting the broader struggle for a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels.

The impasse in negotiations at the annual UN climate conferences underscores the need for a supplementary framework supporting a just transition consistent with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C temperature target. The proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty seeks to establish fair phase-out timelines, financial mechanisms to facilitate an equitable transition for developing nations, and a non-proliferation policy aimed at curbing further fossil fuel development.

Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East highlight the urgent need for a transition from fossil fuels. Since fossil fuel production is deeply rooted in global systems, no single country can manage this shift alone. International cooperation, based on fairness, is crucial to avoid chaotic phase-outs and economic instability. The Santa Marta Conference presents a key moment for nations to unite, address these challenges, and turn pledges into tangible progress.

RITURAJ PHUKAN : Founder, Indigenous People’s Climate Justice Forum; Co-Founder, Smily Academy ;National Coordinator for Biodiversity, The Climate Reality Project India; Member, IUCN Wilderness Specialist Group; Commission Member – IUCN WCPA Climate Change, IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation, IUCN WCPA Indigenous People and Protected Areas Specialist Groups, IUCN WCPA South Asia Region and IUCN WCPA-SSC Invasive Alien Species Task Force; Member, International Antarctic Expedition 2013; Climate Force Arctic 2019 ; Ambassador, Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary. Rituraj Phukan is the Climate Editor, Mahabahu and the  Convenor, Mahabahu Climate Forum.

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