SRINAGAR, Apr 24 (IPS) – A high-level international summit starting today (April 24) in Colombia is expected to accelerate global efforts to phase out fossil fuels, as governments, scientists and indigenous leaders warn the world is running out of time to prevent irreversible climate damage.
During a virtual press briefing on April 16, Colombia’s Environment Ministry and a diverse panel of experts outlined expectations from the upcoming Fossil fuel phase-out summit in Santa Marta. The event is being positioned as an important platform to accelerate the energy transition and address the growing pressure on indigenous communities living on the front lines of extraction.
It was at the Belém Climate Conference in 2025 that a coalition of more than 80 countries unanimously decided to act decisively to phase out fossil fuels, which account for three quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions.
On the sidelines, 24 countries stepped forward: They issued the Belem Declaration, pledging to work collectively toward a fair, orderly and equitable transition along 1.5°C pathways. To this end, Colombia and the Netherlands volunteered to co-host the first international conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels.
The conference is taking place in Santa Marta, Colombia from 24 to 29 April 2026. The organizers invited 97 national governments and 30 subnational governments. The high-level segment will be held on April 28-29, 2026.
He said, “We are at a moment of no return. It is clear that climate change is happening and there is no denial. This is the moment… to accelerate the transition and the progressive elimination of fossil fuels.” Loose Dairy Carmona MorenoColombia’s Deputy Minister of Environment Land Use Planning.
The summit comes at a time of rising geopolitical tensions and continued global dependence on fossil fuels. Carmona said conflict and economic instability continue to be shaped by oil, gas and coal and stressed that structural change is urgently needed.
“The economy remains dependent on fossil fuels,” he said, pointing to global crises that show the deeper role of hydrocarbons.
Colombia has structured the Santa Marta Conference around three strategic pillars. The first focuses on overcoming global dependence on fossil fuels. The second addresses the transformation of supply and demand systems. The third wants to reconsider the multilateral cooperation framework.
Carmona stressed that the goal of the conference is to produce a concrete roadmap supported by science, public participation and political will.
“This conference seeks to accelerate change by finding common ground, concrete actions, and the supporters who will make that pace possible,” he said.
The event has already seen strong international participation. According to Colombian officials, 45 countries have confirmed attendance, along with 13 ministers and a broad coalition of civil society groups, indigenous organizations, academics and private sector actors.
Over 2,800 participants, including grassroots organisations, indigenous communities, youth groups and labor unions, have registered to participate.
Indigenous leaders warn of “unjust transition”
However, for Indigenous leaders, the urgency of the climate crisis is matched by frustration over what they describe as a gap between rhetoric and reality.
osvaldo mucaThe General Coordinator of the Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC) said communities are bearing the brunt of extraction despite promises of a “just transition.”
“We are very concerned. We talk about a just transition, but in practice this is not true,” Muka said.
He described ongoing environmental degradation in indigenous areas, including illegal mining, deforestation and mercury contamination.
“Mining continues. Extraction continues. Deforestation continues. The region and the indigenous people are struggling with this problem and it is becoming more serious every day,” he said.
Muka also criticized the lack of direct benefits for local communities, noting that profits from extraction often leave the country while environmental damage remains.
“The resources do not reach indigenous areas but they destroy and damage the area,” he said.
He called for indigenous participation at every stage of policy making, from design to implementation, in technical, political, legal and financial dimensions.
Science points to sharp cuts
The scientific findings presented during the briefing reinforced the scale of change required.
Dr. Marcel Lavero PasquinaA researcher at the University of Barcelona said limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius would require drastic cuts in fossil fuel production.
“Eighty-six percent of the oil and gas reserves currently under production should be prematurely shut down,” he said.
Even under the less ambitious 2-degree scenario, at least 12% of productive reserves would need to be phased out.
Pasquina also warned that any new fossil fuel exploration is not compatible with global climate goals. “At least 10,000 of the existing oil and gas extraction contracts should be cancelled,” he said.
He highlighted the economic tensions shaping climate negotiations, noting that fossil fuel companies could lose trillions of dollars under transition scenarios.
“Fossil fuel companies… have real and quantifiable conflicts of interest,” he said, arguing that they should be excluded from climate policymaking.
At the same time, governments face significant fiscal challenges, with potential revenue losses globally estimated at US$117 trillion under a 1.5-degree pathway. Nevertheless, Pasquina stressed that these costs far outweigh the human and environmental harms caused by inaction.
“These transition costs are less than the climate costs that communities would otherwise suffer,” he said.
policy momentum builds
Despite the scale of the challenge, policy experts pointed to increasing momentum around the world.
Paola Yanguas ParraA policy adviser at the International Institute for Sustainable Development said governments have already begun implementing measures to restrict fossil fuel expansion.
“We found … 58 active restrictions, ranging from sanctions and embargoes to exploration and licensing,” he said.
These measures include protection for ecologically and culturally important areas such as the Amazon, as well as bans on extraction methods such as fracking.
Ynguas Parra said such policies often make economic sense in addition to environmental benefits.
Referring to unviable extraction projects in remote areas, he said, “You’ll incur huge environmental, social and climate costs for something… that won’t even make you a substantial profit.”
He said the summit provides an opportunity to focus global discussions on how to effectively implement that transition, rather than moving away from fossil fuels.
“This alliance will focus on implementation, on learning from each other,” he said.
Amazon at a crossroads
Speakers from the Amazon Basin warned that the region was being seen as a new frontier for fossil fuel expansion.
Alanna ManchineriA Brazilian indigenous leader described the climate crisis as an immediate reality rather than a distant threat.
“There is no room for delay now,” he said.
He warned that oil and gas projects are already causing massive damage, including water pollution, biodiversity loss and increased conflict.
“This is not just environmental damage but a violation of rights and ways of life,” he said.
According to indigenous organizations, more than 320,000 square kilometers of indigenous lands in the Amazon basin are already affected by oil and gas blocks.
Manchineri stressed that any change must fully incorporate indigenous knowledge and leadership.
“This path will only be legitimate and effective with the full participation of indigenous peoples,” he said.
Beyond COP: complement, not replacement
Panelists repeatedly stressed that the Santa Marta Summit is not intended to replace existing UN climate processes but to complement them.
Ynguas Parra described the summit as part of a broader ecosystem of climate cooperation, saying, “There are groups of countries… that have come together to discuss more focused issues.”
Pasquina offered a more critical view, arguing that while UN climate negotiations have created frameworks such as the Paris Agreement, they have failed to stop rising emissions.
“On paper the COP has been a huge success. In reality, emissions are only increasing,” he said.
He suggested that initiatives like Santa Marta could increase pressure on countries that have resisted taking tough action.
test of political will
As preparations are gaining momentum, expectations regarding the summit remain high. Colombian officials say the end result will be a report outlining actionable steps and mechanisms to accelerate change.
“We want the report to be more than just a document. We hope people will turn it into action,” Carmona said.
For many participants, the success of the summit will depend on whether it delivers concrete commitments rather than sweeping declarations.
Indigenous leaders in particular say the credibility of the process depends on genuine inclusion and concrete change at the grassroots level.
Muka warned, “If we don’t take real and effective action. We can talk about a reasonable change, but in reality, other mechanisms will continue to destroy the region.”
IPS UN Bureau Report
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