Topic analysis

Amid fuel crisis, a bold move to leave oil and gas behind

From April 24 to 29, 2026, more than 50 countries are gathering in Santa Marta, Colombia, for the first-ever conference focused on developing a practical, equitable plan to wean the world off fossil fuels, a response to the failure of last year’s UN climate talks to secure a binding phase-out mandate due to vetoes by petrostates like Russia and Saudi Arabia. The meeting, co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands, includes major fossil fuel producers such as Canada, Australia, and Norway but excludes top producers like the US, China, Saudi Arabia, and Russia, with discussions centering on reducing supply and demand, phasing out subsidies, and addressing just transition concerns for workers dependent on the fossil fuel industry.