Historic Meeting: Countries Unite for Fossil Fuel Exit Conference

PARIS — A coalition of more than 50 countries will meet in Santa Marta, Colombia, next week for the world’s first conference dedicated to phasing out fossil fuels. The gathering comes as the Iran war exposes just how dependent nations remain on coal, oil, and gas.

Ministers will arrive against a backdrop of wartime fuel shortages, soaring prices, and what the International Energy Agency has called the biggest oil supply shock in history. Organizers say the crisis has actually strengthened the case for a fossil fuel phaseout, even as some countries turn to coal for short-term security.

The meeting was born out of frustration with consensus-based United Nations climate talks, where efforts to negotiate an exit strategy have repeatedly stalled. Colombia’s environment minister, Irene Velez Torres, said the energy crisis has given the conference “greater relevance.”

Major fossil fuel producers such as Australia, Canada, and Norway are expected to attend, along with developing oil giants Angola, Mexico, and Brazil. But the world’s biggest players—the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia—are skipping the event.

Colombia, a coal and oil exporter, said the participating countries account for one-fifth of global fossil fuel production and nearly one-third of consumption. No major announcements are expected, but the conference will produce recommendations for a voluntary “roadmap” away from fossil fuels, led by Brazil.

“We need to start a more honest space where we can discuss this more openly,” Velez Torres said. “Nobody is saying the way to eliminating fossil fuels is easy. But we need to bring these people together.”

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