First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta

The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels aims to advance collective efforts to phase out fossil fuels. The conference will take place from 28-29 April, aims identifying legal, economic, and social pathways to phase out fossil fuels. The event will also comprise plenary and parallel thematic sessions with high-level representatives. Likewise, stakeholder-led dialogues will be organized between 24-27 April. The conference expected to be instrumental in bringing together countries, subnational actors, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders.

The website dedicated to the conference indicates it “is not intended to serve as a negotiating body, nor does it constitute part of any formal negotiation process or initiative, and it is not intended to replace the UNFCCC.” Rather, the event will serve as “the first implementation-focused conference, intended to support practical action by those already prepared to move forward.” The event will not conclude with a negotiated outcome, but aims to “generate shared understanding and actionable guidance that can help accelerate a just, orderly, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels.”

The Governments of Colombia and the Netherlands announced their intent to co-host the conference after the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 30) negotiations did not result in an agreement on phasing out fossil fuels. In response, the governments proposed continuing the momentum for an equitable roadmap for the global phaseout of fossil fuels.

The conference will advance international cooperation on transitioning away from fossil fuel extraction in line with the ‘Belem Declaration on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels’. Twenty-four countries have signed the declaration. They are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Luxembourg, the Marshall Islands, Mexico, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Nepal, the Netherlands, Panama, Spain, Slovenia, Vanuatu, and Tuvalu.

In the meantime, Nepal is all prepared its priorities ahead of the conference. A national consultation organized by the Ministry of Forests and Environment in collaboration with Digo Bikash Institute and Clean Energy Nepal recommended that Nepal should take advantage by advocating for a just, equitable, and nationally appropriate transition at the conference.

The conference was endorsed at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, last November and is co-led by Colombia and the Netherlands.

Dr. Maheshwor Dhakal, Chief of the Climate Change Management Division, expressed that Nepal will highlight its focus on renewable energy, electrification, and bioenergy, as mentioned in its third Nationally Determined Contributions. So as, with a long-term goal of net-zero emissions by 2045, Nepal plans to strengthen national policies and legal frameworks, enhance institutional capacity for energy security, and diversify the energy mix by 2030.

This is also to be noted that Nepal’s commitments are backed by key policies including the National Climate Change Policy 2019 and Renewable Energy Subsidy Policy 2016, along with sectoral strategies.

Referring to this important issue, climate expert Manjeet Dhakal mentions that rising global temperatures may affect to reduce Nepal’s GDP by up to 17% by 2050, as sectors such as agriculture, hydropower, tourism, and remittances could be influenced. He also noted that in the later phase, the country is witnessing a gradual decline in petroleum use, indicating a shift away from fossil fuels.

It is worth mention that Nepal’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is too little, the country faces severe climate risks, including glacial lake outburst floods, erratic rainfall, and rising heat stress.