Global Energy Dialogue in Colombia Tests Momentum for Fossil Fuel Phase-Out

More than 50 countries will convene in Santa Marta, Colombia, next week for the first dedicated international conference aimed at coordinating pathways away from fossil fuels, as geopolitical instability in the Middle East continues to unsettle global energy markets.

The meeting takes place amid ongoing disruption to oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz due to conflict involving Iran, triggering supply constraints, price volatility and heightened energy security concerns. The International Energy Agency has described the situation as one of the most severe oil supply shocks in recent years.

Against this backdrop, policymakers will attempt to reconcile competing priorities: accelerating decarbonisation while safeguarding energy security and affordability. The conference is designed as an alternative diplomatic space to UN climate negotiations, where consensus-based frameworks have repeatedly stalled formal agreement on fossil fuel phase-down pathways.

Colombia’s Environment Minister Irene Vélez Torres, co-hosting with the Netherlands, said the energy crisis has increased the urgency of discussions originally planned months in advance. The two-day agenda on 28–29 April is expected to place energy security on equal footing with climate mitigation.

Participants include major producers and consumers of fossil fuels. Australia, Canada and Norway will attend alongside oil and gas exporters such as Angola, Mexico and Brazil, as well as coal-reliant economies including Turkey and Vietnam. Germany, France and the UK are also represented.
Collectively, organisers estimate participating countries account for around one-fifth of global fossil fuel production and nearly one-third of consumption.

However, the absence of key producers including the United States, China, Saudi Arabia and Russia underscores ongoing geopolitical fragmentation in global energy governance.

The initiative has drawn mixed assessments. Some analysts caution that broader participation risks diluting policy focus, while others argue that excluding major producers limits practical outcomes.
Supporters describe the forum as a “more honest space” for dialogue on an issue long shaped by political sensitivities within UN processes. Small island states, highly exposed to climate impacts, have welcomed the initiative as a necessary complement to stalled multilateral negotiations.
Investment patterns continue to reflect a dual-track transition: capital flows into clean energy now outpace fossil fuels, yet emissions from coal, oil and gas reached record highs in 2025.

While no binding commitments are expected, outcomes from Santa Marta will inform a voluntary fossil fuel transition roadmap led by Brazil, with its longer-term influence likely to depend on sustained political alignment beyond the conference.