Santa Marta: Main conclusions of the first summit on the transition to non-fossil energy sources.

Countries attending such a first-of-its-kind summit left with plans to develop national roadmaps that would allow them to wean themselves off fossil fuels, along with new tools to tackle harmful subsidies and high-carbon trading. The first conference on the “transition away from fossil fuels,” held in Santa Marta, Colombia, from April 24 to 29, brought together 57 countries – representing a third of the global economy – to discuss practical ways to move away from coal, oil and gas. Against a backdrop of war, global oil crisis and worsening extreme weather events, ministers and envoys from around the world sat down together in small meeting rooms for open and frank conversations about the obstacles they face in transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy. This new format, devised by co-hosts Colombia and the Netherlands, was described as “refreshing”, “very successful” and “innovative” by the countries attending the talks. The event also included a “scientific pre-conference” attended by 400 academics from around the world, which featured a new scientific panel that aims to provide agile and customized analysis to nations that wish to accelerate their transition away from fossil fuel dependency. At the conclusion of the summit, it was announced that Tuvalu and Ireland would co-host the second summit on the transition away from fossil fuels, which will take place in the Pacific island nation in 2027.

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