GLOBAL ISSUES: First dots on the roadmap to exiting fossil fuels

Image: Ivan Valencia/AP Photo/picture alliance

The message from inaugural talks on exiting fossil fuels was clear. It’s not if, but when and how.

After days of talks in the first-ever gathering devoted to ditching the fossil fuels that are heating the planet, ministers, climate advocates and financial experts from more than 50 countries have agreed on a set of outcomes.

Held in the Colombian coastal city of Santa Marta, the conference laid the groundwork for continued cooperation between countries that want to move to a clean-energy future, and created momentum for more talks on an issue that is politically and economically sensitive.

Maina Vakafua Talia, minister for home affairs, climate change and environment in the Pacific state of Tuvalu told delegates at the talks hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands, that they were “making history.”

“Multilateralism and international cooperation are not defined by a single process, but rather by recognizing the governance gaps. (…) even our greatest challenges can be overcome, and we can reach new horizons together,” he said.

Finding common ground exiting fossil fuels

The issue of how to swap coal, oil and gas — which are driving global temperatures and causing extreme weather such as drought, storms and heatwaves — for more electrification and a faster rollout of renewable energy, is complex. And there is no one-size-fits-all to making the shift.

Countries exporting coal, oil and gas face different challenges to those importing fossil fuels.

Colombia is a case in point. Its economy depends on coal exports, including to Germany and other parts of Europe. So if the nation wants to wind down the sector quickly, it will have to create alternative sources of income and employment. Vulnerable groups would be among those most affected.

Simply shuttering the industry altogether would also be difficult for legal reasons, with mining companies potentially suing the state for compensation over lost revenue.

In short, moving away from coal is a structural transformation that requires money, planning and a strategy for managing social consequences.

Germany’s Coal Commission could offer one model for how to get there. Established in 2019, the body brought all relevant stakeholders to the table and quickly drew up a plan to transition away from coal in a way it deemed both economically viable and socially fair. Germany plans to phase out coal-fired power generation completely by 2038.

Some former lignite mines in Germany have already been transformed into lakes which also have recreational benefits – Image: Patrick Pleul/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa/picture alliance

Fossil fuels: Multilateralism under strain

Unlike the vast annual UN climate conferences which are not only attended by delegates from most countries in the world, but increasingly by fossil fuel lobbyists, the Santa Marta meeting was billed as a “coalition of the willing.”

The hosts issued their invitation after last year’s COP30 climate summit in Brazil saw the emergence of a broad alliance in favor of a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels.

The proposal was ultimately blocked by a number of countries. So those attending the talks in Santa Marta welcomed the chance to meet in a different forum.

Former Irish President Mary Robinson, who is a prominent climate justice figure, said the talks felt more collaborative than the annual UN climate conferences.

“COPs are more formal, negotiators have their lines and they will not cross them and it’s so different here,” she told reporters.

Many ideas and the central question of money

France used the conference to present a detailed plan for how and when it intends to end its use of coal, oil and gas.

It is planning to reduce the share of fossil fuels in final energy consumption to 40% by 2030 and 30% by 2035. Coal is to be phased out by 2027, oil by 2045 and fossil gas by 2050. The French roadmap brings together existing climate and energy targets but does not contain new commitments.

NGOs have welcomed the plan but say it remains insufficient in light of the climate crisis. Last year, 91% of the planet recorded warmer than average surface air temperatures. Hotter conditions have been linked to prolonged heatwaves, wildfires, crop failure and water scarcity.

The talks in Santa Marta also made clear that financing the energy transition remains one of the central challenges, especially for developing countries facing high borrowing costs and limited access to capital.

Stientje van Veldhoven, the Dutch Minister for Climate and Green Growth, said affordable financing would be essential if the transition is to be implemented globally. The Netherlands has also called for the reduction in fossil fuel subsidies. Today, fossil fuels receive around $920 billion in subsidies worldwide.

In light of the energy crisis and high fuel prices, many economists are calling for more independence from fossil fuels – Image: Xu Suhui/Xinhua/picture alliance

Shoring up energy security in uncertain times

Colombia’s left-wing president, Gustavo Petro, attended the talks and used the opportunity to challenge the global economic model underpinning fossil fuel consumption.

He also linked current conflicts to energy dependence, saying that “the wars we are seeing are driven by desperate geopolitical strategies around fossil resources.”

Underlining the importance of the energy transition for Europe, EU climate chief Wopke Hoekstra said that “in around two months, Europe’s fossil fuel import bill increased by over EUR 22 billion, without a single additional unit of energy.”

He said a roadmap to transition away from coal, oil and gas should build on the goals agreed at the UN climate conference to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030. It should also include an end to new extraction and exploration and the decarbonization of transport, aviation and shipping.

Germany did not send a minister but was represented by Jochen Flasbarth, an experienced climate diplomat.

The German government remains divided over its path towards fossil fuel independence. While the environment ministry wants to accelerate the expansion of renewable energy, economy minister Katherina Reiche is backing policies that would prolong the role of fossil fuels.

A roadmap will take time

Cristian Retamal, associate researcher at Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya in Spain, said the spirit of the talks had been “quite constructive with a very positive mood,” but that it is too soon to say how things will evolve.

“The real impact of this emerging coalition and envisioned efforts remain to be seen in the coming months and couple of years.”

Delegates at what has also been called the TAFF conference say there will be no defining roadmap or treaty this year. Though some Global South countries would like to see something binding going forward.

“We need a fossil fuel treaty that creates the necessary architecture for a just transition,” said Cedric Dzelu, Ghana’s technical director of the office of the minister for climate change and sustainability. “Past treaties and agreements too often fall short on policies and pledges, financing and equitable implementation.”

Juan Carlos Monterrey, special representative for climate change at Panama’s environment ministry said it will be a process.

“We must pave the way for a legal instrument that names what it phases out and how we finance it,” he said. “The treaty will take time. We know this.”

Still, he struck a determined tone.

“Economies built on fossil fuels are unraveling in real time. Fossil fuels are not just dirty. They are unreliable. They are dangerous. And they must end.”

The next meeting is due to take place next year in Tuvalu. Scientists believe the small Pacific island state could disappear by 2100 as a result of rising sea levels.

DW.com/NAN 01-05-26

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