Petro's Final Bid to End Fossil Fuels

The Setting: A Coastal City at the Crossroads

The Caribbean port city of Santa Marta, located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Colombia’s Magdalena department, is a place where the realities of fossil fuel extraction are impossible to ignore. Along its shoreline, the Drummond terminal stands as a testament to the coal industry, with a railway extending into the sea, loading export ships with coal from nearby open-pit mines. This setting became the backdrop for an international conference on phasing out fossil fuels, drawing delegates from fifty-eight countries.

The Conference: A New Approach to Climate Action

Coorganized by Colombia and the Netherlands, the summit brought together governments, unions, indigenous peoples, frontline communities, scientists, and activists. The event was divided into three tracks: an academic track, a people’s summit, and high-level interministerial talks. These tracks converged through joint working sessions, aiming to move beyond the limitations of traditional climate negotiations and chart a path for a just transition.

However, the concept of a "just transition" carries different meanings for various participants. While the conference highlighted the costs of fossil fuel dependence, it also exposed deep divisions over the scale of economic and political transformation needed to break free from fossil capitalism.

Pent-Up Frustrations and the Need for Change

Driven by frustration with the limitations of United Nations climate negotiations, the conference aimed to push discussions on fossil fuel phase-out further than the COP process had allowed. Over the past thirty years, fossil fuels were rarely mentioned at COPs. Tzeporah Berman, founder of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, emphasized this point, noting that many small island states, such as Vanuatu, Fiji, and Samoa, are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels.

Several of these countries, including Tuvalu, declared energy emergencies due to severe fuel shortages and soaring prices. Tuvaluan minister Maina Vakufua Talia spoke about the daily challenges faced by his government, highlighting the need for global support.

While the conference expanded beyond the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to include major hydrocarbon powers, it did not include the United States, China, India, or Saudi Arabia. This absence raises questions about the real engagement of these nations within the coalition of the willing.

The Role of the Netherlands

The Netherlands, as a co-host, faced criticism for approving new gas extraction projects in the North Sea during the conference. Additionally, the Dutch government came under fire from Climate Justice Flotilla activists for appealing a court ruling that found the state had failed to protect residents of Bonaire from climate impacts.

Despite these contradictions, Berman argued that minority coalitions have historically driven global change, citing nuclear nonproliferation and land mine bans as precedents. Joel Wainwright, coauthor of Climate Leviathan, compared the conference to the World Social Forum, emphasizing the importance of such moments of convergence.

Colombia’s Climate Diplomacy

Under left-wing President Gustavo Petro, Colombia has positioned itself as a leader in climate diplomacy. The government has taken steps to halt over three hundred prospective fossil fuel projects, including oil blocks and mining applications, and has withdrawn from the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) system.

Colombia's decision to halt extractive expansion is significant, given its status as the world’s fifth-largest coal exporter. However, the approach remains fragile, with potential shifts in policy if opposition candidates win upcoming elections.

Global Implications and the Role of Fossil Fuels

The war in Iran has intensified the push to diversify the economy and energy reliance. Security and energy sovereignty have become key themes in official speeches, emphasizing the need for renewables. Recent reports indicate that top oil and gas companies made over $30 million every hour in unearned profits during the first month of the US-Israeli attack against Iran.

Irene Vélez Torres, Colombia’s minister of the environment, noted that fossil fuels have been used as a tool for geopolitical domination. Despite efforts to halt coal exports to Israel, the issue of regulating exports to countries violating international law remained largely absent from high-level debates.

The Limits of Technocracy

Techno-optimism and green market strategies remain prominent, but a clear divide emerged between grassroots calls for a social and political transformation and a more technocratic approach emphasizing market-led solutions. Hydrogen, nuclear expansion, carbon capture, and carbon trading were among the proposed solutions.

Wim Carton, a political ecologist, criticized the assumption that markets will solve the crisis, arguing that power relations and vested interests are often overlooked. Communities at the People’s Summit emphasized the need for a broader understanding of the transition as a social and political transformation.

The Future of Climate Cooperation

The next conference, scheduled for 2027 in Tuvalu and cohosted by Ireland, aims to build on the first gathering and complement the UN process. While the conference marked a hopeful turning point, the effectiveness of road maps for progressive phaseouts remains uncertain.

Santa Marta’s attempt to confront the fossil fuel economy represents a step toward a new "global climate democracy." However, the continued dilution of key debates may slow the overdue process. Issues such as militarization and human rights violations risk being sidelined in favor of "green finance" and investment opportunities.

As scientists warn of a potential "super El Niño," openings for cooperation remain vital. But they must do more to integrate Global South and indigenous perspectives alongside radical demands to confront the expansion of fossil-fueled authoritarianism.