Colombia hosted the first-ever international conference dedicated to phasing out fossil fuels in Santa Marta. Ministers and envoys from nearly 60 countries gathered to discuss transitioning away from coal, oil, and gas to shift the global economy toward a clean energy future. The event concluded Wednesday, with Europe dominating the summit.
The meeting aimed to speed up the shift away from fossil fuels and break a stalemate at U.N. climate talks. Governments have been asked to develop voluntary national roadmaps setting out how they will end the production and use of planet-heating fuels. These plans will form the bedrock of a new initiative to wean the world off coal, oil, and gas.
Delegates described the atmosphere as euphoric, noting that the meeting finally focused on concrete solutions to loosen the grip of petrostates on the world's future. This momentum to move away from fossil fuels has increased following a global energy crisis ignited by the war on Iran.