Experts are calling on governments to ‘reduce the risk of every fossil fuel disruption turning into a global energy and economic shock’.
European leaders could rewrite history at high stakes meetings in the next few weeks.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
During a time of massive geopolitical tension, governments will meet to discuss how to transition away from fossil fuels - the source of the current energy shock - and towards abundant, low-cost, reliable renewable energy.
First, EU foreign affairs ministers will meet at their council in Strasbourg on 21 April. The next day, 40 countries meet for the 17th Petersberg Climate Dialogue. Hot on their heels, the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels will be held in Santa Marta, Colombia, from 24-29 April.
With fossil fuel markets in turmoil, energy shortages worldwide and extreme weather costing lives, the stakes could not be higher.
Many experts say the time is ripe for a “climate reset”.
“The fossil fuelled war led by the US and Israel against Iran violates international law, harms innocent civilians, and is dragging the region into a broader conflict while worsening the cost-of-living crisis across the world.,” says Tasneem Essop, from Climate Action Network.
“Fossil fuels play a central role in this war…this moment of mass geopolitical tension and economic uncertainty reinforce why transitioning away from fossil fuels is not merely a matter of climate policy: it is a question of economic stability, safety and human well-being.”
‘A reset in climate diplomacy’
While many look to the annual COP conferences for multinational climate action, the outcomes of recent gatherings have been disappointing to many who felt they did not go far enough given the scale of the climate and biodiversity crises.
“COP30 left many Europeans frustrated, but it also underlined the need for a reset in climate diplomacy,” says Linda Kalcher, Executive Director at Strategic Perspectives think-tank. “In a more complex geopolitical context, we need a better structure that focuses on economic cooperation and partnerships, ensuring more countries can benefit from the global clean transformation, supported by trade tools, climate finance and strategic investment.”
The First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta was announced at COP30 in Belem, and backed by many of the 85 countries who called for a roadmap out of fossil fuel reliance.
The goal of the conference is to agree on “actionable solutions” that follow-up meetings can refine so governments around the world can implement them.
“The real question for governments is not only what they should transition away from, but what they should transition towards. The answer is electrified energy systems powered by abundant, low-cost renewable energy. That is how we reduce the risk of every fossil fuel disruption turning into a global energy and economic shock,” says Bruce Douglas from the Global Renewables Alliance.
‘Work together to build a more secure future based on renewable energy’
The Santa Marta conference is the biggest of the three meetings, with 50 countries and more than 2,000 organisations and communities set to attend.
At the meeting, a “coalition of doers” will work to accelerate practical delivery of the transition by bringing together consuming and producing governments, the private sector, scientists, trade unions and civil society.
The results of the conference will kick-start the delivery of national plans to transition away from fossil fuels.
Jennifer Morgan, former German state secretary and special envoy for international climate action, is calling on governments to put aside their differences to create a better future for their citizens.
“Governments face a choice: double down on a system built on scarcity, or work together to build a more secure future based on renewable energy. The coalition of doers gathering in Santa Marta is ready to accelerate this shift, taking practical steps to deliver a more stable, resilient energy and climate system - doing so is the safest path forward and the smartest one for their economies.”
What could come out of the Santa Marta conference?
The conference will end with a ‘chair’s summary’ which, organisers say, will capture political signals and priority actions to feed into COP31 preparations.
But some say final statements are less important than what happens when governments have a chance to meet.
“The value of these large international gatherings lies less in final statements and more in the space and the momentum they generate - through mobilising actors, parallel discussions, and exchanges in the margins,” says Marta Torres Gunfaus from the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations think-tank.
