The first international conference on phasing out fossil fuels, which took place in Santa Marta, Colombia, has, in the view of the Catholic aid organisation Misereor, set a decisive political course for renewable energies: more than 50 participating countries made it clear that the phase-out of coal, oil and gas should no longer be postponed, but should be put into practice. The conference initiated by Colombia and the Netherlands sees itself as a complementary format to the faltering UN climate negotiations and builds on the resolutions on phasing out fossil fuels adopted at COP28 in 2023.
Fossil dependencies are becoming increasingly serious
According to Misereor, the current geopolitical crises - such as the Iran war and the tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz - clearly show how risky global dependence on fossil fuels is. "Phasing out fossil fuels is no longer a question of if, but how. Santa Marta and the growing international support for the pioneering coalition show that the political course has been set for a global fossil fuel phase-out and that this process will now gain momentum," explains Misereor energy expert Madeleine Wörner.
International solidarity
In Santa Marta, key dimensions of a just transition from fossil to renewable energy use were systematically brought together for the first time - from human rights and social consequences to possible investor lawsuits and the historical responsibility of rich countries. From the perspective of civil society, this is about much more than climate policy: "The transition away from coal, oil and gas is not just a climate issue, but a question of human rights and future security," emphasises Rosa María Mateus Parra, coordinator at the Colombian partner organisation CAJAR. Accordingly, the focus was also on concrete next steps: institutional structures such as a science and ethics council and an international steering committee were proposed in order to take the process beyond Santa Marta politically. The prospect of a follow-up conference in the Pacific was also raised.
Germany has a special responsibility
Germany's State Secretary for the Environment, Jochen Flasbarth, took part in the conference in Santa Marta and praised the participating countries for being "exit makers" who are working together to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. In this context, Misereor emphasised Germany's special responsibility: as an importer of hard coal from Colombia, Germany is responsible for ensuring that its extraction does not lead to human rights violations and environmental destruction on the ground. At the same time, Germany must now also close existing gaps in the national implementation of its own phase-out of fossil fuels. According to Madeleine Wörner, the conference in Santa Marta provided impetus for this - for example for concrete, time-bound phase-out plans and the reduction of fossil subsidies. Against the backdrop of current crises and the conference in Santa Marta, this is crucial for an internationally coordinated farewell to all climate-damaging energy sources.
