It could be described as the \u201cchallenge of the century\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Energy ministers from some 50 countries are gathering for a two-day summit from April 28-29 in the city of Santa Marta, at the foot of Colombia<\/a>\u2019s Sierra Nevada mountain range, to address the crucial question of how to move away from fossil fuels<\/a> \u2013 the main drivers of global warming \u2013 once and for all.<\/p>\n Organised by Bogota, the summit was prompted by a sobering realisation: when it comes to tackling gas, oil and coal production, the major UN<\/a> COP meetings are no longer enough. This became clear at the conclusion of COP28<\/a> in Dubai<\/a> in 2023 after a landmark decision to adopt the convention\u2019s final text mentioned the need to begin to \u201ctransition away from fossil fuels\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n But negotiations have stalled since then. Consensus has been thwarted with discussions systematically blocked by the major oil and gas-producing countries.<\/p>\n However, the Santa Marta conference may well break the deadlock in climate<\/a> diplomacy. The question is no longer whether or not fossil fuels should be phased out but rather how the most ambitious countries wrestling with the challenges of climate change<\/a> can achieve concrete solutions.<\/p>\n Read moreFrance’s ‘roadmap’ to exit fossil fuels by 2050<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018What is more poisonous for humanity: cocaine, coal or oil?\u2019 <\/p>\n It is no coincidence that Colombia<\/a> is hosting this unprecedented summit. In the small world of oil-producing nations, Gustavo Petro<\/a>, the country\u2019s first left-wing president, stands out as somewhat of an outsider. Since his inauguration in August 2022, he has consistently criticised the devastating “addiction” to oil<\/a> that is harming the planet and pledged to transform Colombia, Latin America\u2019s fourth-largest oil exporter, into an economy “free of oil and coal”.<\/p>\n A month later, during his first speech to the UN General Assembly, Petro did not shy away from controversy. \u201cWhat is more poisonous for humanity: cocaine, coal or oil?” he asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n At COP28 in Dubai, capital of the oil-rich United Arab Emirates<\/a>, only three months after his UN address, he summed up his philosophy.<\/p>\n \u201cSome will ask how I can contemplate such economic suicide [by doing away with fossil fuels], given that we depend on oil and coal,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n “But today we are witnessing a massive clash between fossil capital and human life, and we must choose a side. We are choosing the side of life.”<\/p>\n Renewable energy programmes <\/p>\n Petro\u2019s verbal facility and quickfire soundbites have translated into action on the ground, even when they\u2019ve ruffled the feathers of his most strident opponents. Shortly after being elected, he increased taxes on hydrocarbons, banned all new oil exploration contracts and launched a campaign promoting \u201cthe country\u2019s rich biodiversity\u201d rather than its fossil fuel reserves.<\/p>\n In 2025 his environment minister, Irene Velez Torres, declared the \u201cColombian Amazon free from all extractive exploitation\u201d.<\/p>\n As for hydraulic fracturing \u2013 or fracking as it is commonly known\u00a0\u2013 a process used to extract shale gas, all new projects have been suspended until further notice while a legislative standoff is under way between the government and Congress over moves to ban them permanently.<\/p>\n At the same time, the government has launched various renewable energy<\/a> programmes, such as “Colombia Solar”. With a budget of $2 billion (\u20ac1.7 billion) up to 2030, its goal is to install solar farms and rooftop panels<\/a>, especially in the Caribbean region, which enjoys year-round sunshine.<\/p>\n Experts acknowledge Petro has made significant strides in transitioning the country\u2019s energy supplies away from fossil fuels.<\/p>\n Watch more‘We represent a new force’: Nearly 60 nations push ahead with fossil fuel exit<\/a><\/p>\n While the majority of Colombia\u2019s electricity<\/a> remains hydroelectric, the proportion of solar and wind power has surged within the country\u2019s energy mix. Its share has risen from 2% in 2022 to 17% in 2026, according to government figures. Last year, solar power overtook coal for the first time.<\/p>\n “The year 2025 marked the first time that exports in terms of remittances and foreign exchange earnings from coffee exceeded those from coal. And 2025 was also the first year in which Colombia generated more energy from unconventional renewable sources, particularly solar power, than from coal,” said Velez Torres, speaking on the sidelines of the Santa Marta summit.<\/p>\n Nearly 30% of the country\u2019s exports <\/p>\n But despite the minister\u2019s efforts, oil and gas still account for 4% of GDP and 30% of exports\u00a0\u2013 meaning the country is far from shaking off the shackles of fossil fuel dependency.<\/p>\n \u201cOil remains a driving force behind the Colombian economy,\u201d Tomas Gonzalez, director of the Regional Centre for Energy Studies (CREE), told the newspaper El Tiempo.<\/a> \u201cIt still accounts for a third of exports and brings in nearly $15 billion for the Colombian state. In a country running a deficit like Colombia, oil revenues are essential for the state\u2019s finances,\u201d the economist added.<\/p>\n “There has been progress,” but this does not amount to “a genuine energy transition”, Oscar Vanegas, a professor of economics at the Industrial University of Santander, told AFP.<\/p>\n Moving away from fossil fuels “will take several decades”, acknowledges energy planning specialist Ismael Suescun, explaining that \u201cit is not just a matter of stopping the exploration and extraction of hydrocarbons\u201d. It is a matter of \u201cbeing aware of the gradual nature\u201d required to transition the energy sector of a country whose budget deficit is high and where revenues remain tethered to hydrocarbons.<\/p>\n A symbol for how difficult that transition is likely to be can be found just 200 kilometres away from the Santa Marta talks. Operated by the multinational Glencore, the Cerrejon mine is one of the world\u2019s largest open-cast coal mines and is regularly criticised for its environmental and social impacts.<\/p>\n Climate diplomacy <\/p>\n In hosting this conference just a few weeks before the end of his presidential term, Petro is undoubtedly hoping to reach beyond his country\u2019s borders and once again position himself as a leader on the diplomatic stage in the global fight against fossil fuels.<\/p>\n In 2023, Colombia became the first non-island, oil-producing country to commit to the draft treaty on the non-proliferation of fossil fuels. Launched by a group of Pacific island nations, the initiative received the backing of the European Parliament<\/a>, the World Health Organization<\/a> and 100 cities and local governments, and aims to persuade states to commit to energy transition.<\/p>\n Last year, Petro was the first to publicly denounce the failure of fossil fuel negotiations at COP30 in Belem, Brazil<\/a>. Today, he may well hope to be the first to spearhead a new diplomatic chapter by championing the first international scheme to regulate, or limit, the production of hydrocarbons and coal. A follow-up conference planned for Tuvalu in autumn\u00a0\u2013 on the sidelines of a meeting of heads of state ahead of COP31\u00a0\u2013 could well provide him with the chance to do so.<\/p>\n