Santa Marta, Colombia, April 29 – The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands, concluded today marking a historic breakthrough in building international cooperation for the phase out of coal, oil and gas extraction and production. This step fundamentally shifts power toward a growing coalition of courageous nations engaged in a new international process to manage an equitable phase out of fossil fuels. The Santa Marta Process represents the first international forum specifically designed to address the transition away from fossil fuels outside the consensus-based framework of the UNFCCC, breaking decades of diplomatic deadlock. 

The conference's most significant outcome was the announcement of Tuvalu and Ireland co-hosting the Second Conference within a year in the Pacific, ensuring the process started in Santa Marta continues, complementary and parallel to existing forums. 

Dr. Maina Vakafua Talia, Minister for Home Affairs, Climate Change, and Environment, Tuvalu, said in his remarks at the closing plenary: "Today we are making history. This journey that began here, in a coal port on the Caribbean Sea, now voyages to the Pacific Ocean, where our ancestors navigated vast distances guided by stars, currents, and trust in one another. They showed us that when we move together, even our greatest challenges can be overcome and we can reach new horizons together. And that is why today, Tuvalu is proud to partner with Ireland, to co-host the Second International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels in 2027.” 

“Together, we will be carrying this process forward to the next horizon - to the Blue Pacific. We are two island peoples, separated by the width of the world, yet bound together by something deeper. We are both nations shaped by history, by the ocean and by this common cause: to unite the world to transition away from fossil fuels. As co-hosts, our task is to take forward all the elements of the work begun here. Deepening solutions and confronting the barriers we have named together, including strengthening international cooperation and confronting the narrative that forces false choices: multilateralism and international cooperation are not defined by a single process, but rather by recognising the governance gaps.”

The idea of the Santa Marta conference originated from conversations among the growing group of countries participating in discussions on a Fossil Fuel Treaty, who agreed to “initiate a series of dedicated conferences” in December 2024 at a Ministerial level. In June 2025, Colombia offered to host the first, and now Tuvalu and Ireland have been confirmed as the co-hosts of a Second Conference in the Pacific region.

The conference delivered two additional outcomes: a new dedicated scientific panel; and a comprehensive final report from the co-host governments, compiling inputs from thousands of written submissions, dozens of virtual dialogues, and numerous in-person sectoral consultations. This will include specific themes to advance, across the three technical pillars of the conference including:

• Addressing the macroeconomic dependencies and financial architecture including the “debt trap, the fiscal trap, the subsidy trap” and identifying the international financial mechanisms that need to change;

• The design of roadmaps with a very explicit focus on exports and production; 

• Increasing international cooperation and developing fossil fuel free trade systems 

A remarkable 80% of the sectors engaged in the Santa Marta Conference called for the negotiation of an international framework to manage fossil fuel production, including academics, social movements, NGOs, the private sector, peasant communities, women and diversities, children and youth, trade unions, parliamentarians and subnational governments.

In the Synthesis of National and Subnational Governments' Positions on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels released by the hosts, countries identified that a key barrier was the “absence of a binding international framework governing fossil fuel production and phase-out”, and identified a number of key enablers of the transition, including: 

• “International agreements and policy frameworks supporting energy efficiency and the transition away from fossil fuels”

• “A binding fossil fuel treaty that could establish commitments to phase out fossil fuels and end new licensing; create cooperative mechanisms, including a buyers-sellers partnership, a debt resolution facility, and scaled-up public finance (…)”

In the closing plenary, Ghana called for the development of a new international instrument to manage the supply and demand of fossil fuels in an equitable and coordinated manner, a Fossil Fuel Treaty:

Cedric Dzelu, Technical Director, Office of the Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Ghana: “It has become increasingly true in Santa Marta that the transition is a shared global challenge and no country can do it alone. In Ghana, I must admit fossil fuels remain deeply tied to government revenues that fund essential public services adding to our broader energy systems. We are encouraged by the call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty here in Santa Marta. This great momentum reflects an urgent need for collective action. To genuinely end fossil fuel dependence and build fossil free economies, we need a Fossil Fuel Treaty that creates the necessary architecture for a just transition. Recognising past treaties and agreements too often fall short on policies and pledges, financing and equitable implementation, we must approach this moment from Tuvalu and beyond with greater resolve and accountability.”

The conference, and the announcement of a process toward a conference in the Pacific, received strong support from governments, civil society groups, and participants across sectors:

Honourable Chipiliro Brian Mpinganjira, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Republic of Malawi: “The Santa Marta conference has been a pivotal moment for Malawi to engage on practical pathways for the shift away from fossil fuels. It is increasingly clear from the stakeholder dialogues held here that a Fossil Fuel Treaty is what is needed to help drive this transition. We have brought the voices and priorities of our communities into this conference and will remain actively engaged to ensure this process advances a just transition that supports climate resilience, sustainable economic development, and expanded energy access. We call for continued commitment to this process from our fellow African nations to ensure that, as we move into the next stage, African priorities help shape a fair, financed and inclusive pathway for this global transition.”

Raju Sapkota, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Forest and Environment, Nepal: “Developed countries and high-emitting economies must take the responsibility in rapidly phasing out fossil fuels, consistent with their historical responsibility and capabilities. The Santa Marta Conference must deliver a clear signal that the global transition will be just, inclusive, and equitable, ensuring that no country is left behind. Nepal stands ready to contribute constructively to global efforts in advancing a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels. With its strong foundation in renewable energy and clear policy direction, Nepal has the potential to demonstrate a pathway for clean energy-led development. However, achieving this vision requires enhanced international support, strengthened partnerships,  legally binding international agreements, treaties, and financial systems to ensure fairness and justice in the phasing out of fossil fuels. Nepal calls upon the international community to seize the opportunity presented by the Santa Marta Conference to translate ambition into meaningful, inclusive, and transformative action.”

Kumi Naidoo, President  of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative: “From Santa Marta to the Pacific, a new reality is taking shape: this is no longer a one-off moment, but the foundation of an ongoing international process dedicated to phasing out fossil fuels. The agreement to continue under Pacific leadership, with Ireland and Tuvalu co-hosting the second conference now confirmed, marks a decisive shift from stalled negotiations to sustained political direction. What is emerging is a process that can finally match climate diplomacy to the scale of the crisis — moving beyond voluntary pledges toward a coordinated, equitable and binding framework to phase out oil, gas and coal extraction. The Pacific has helped turn a historic opening into a standing process, and the task now is to ensure it delivers the legal and political architecture for a just and rapid transition.”

Sinéad Loughran, Climate Justice Policy & Advocacy Advisor at Trócaire, Ireland, said: “Ireland co-hosting the second conference alongside Tuvalu is an important outcome, and a test of whether Ireland will truly step up to its climate obligations. Pacific nations are setting the ambition we need to see, and Ireland and other Global North countries must rise to meet their obligations, both at home and globally. This next stage is critical to advancing a legally binding international mechanism to phase out fossil fuels, grounded in equity and justice. To truly support this process, the Irish Government must also take urgent action domestically; Ireland cannot claim climate leadership while advancing new fossil fuel infrastructure, including LNG, at home. However, by aligning national actions with this Pacific-led vision, Ireland could help deliver a just transition that meets the needs and rights of current and future generations everywhere.”

Yuvelis Morales, Member of the Alianza Colombia Libre de Fracking, said:“Tuvalu’s decision to host this upcoming conference, co-organized with Ireland, demonstrates that those of us on the front lines are undoubtedly leading the way. A clear and forceful call was issued from Santa Marta: this cannot remain mere words. This second conference must result in a legally binding instrument that guarantees a just, territorial, and community-led energy transition. Our communities and our lands cannot wait any longer and need a Fossil Fuel Treaty to ensure that life, water, and dignity are at the center of our future.”