The First Conference on Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels, taking place April 24–29 in Santa Marta, Colombia, will begin drafting a global “roadmap” to phase out fossil fuels. Petrostates used UN consensus rules to veto that idea last November at COP30. But as CCNow pointed out in an article published this week, the Santa Marta conference will not be governed by UN rules. What’s more, the 85-plus countries that favored a roadmap at COP30 collectively amount to the biggest economic superpower on Earth. If they can outline a credible roadmap for withdrawing their immense buying power from fossil fuels, it could echo the effect of the 2015 Paris Agreement, causing governments and private investors alike to follow suit for fear their fossil fuel investments will become stranded assets.
This CCNow press briefing informed journalists on the substance and logistics of covering the Santa Marta conference. Panelists included the key diplomats organizing the conference for the Dutch and Colombian governments, and The Guardian’s Jonathan Watts. CCNow’s executive director and co-founder, Mark Hertsgaard, moderated.