As sharp divisions at UN talks stall progress on a shift away from fossil fuels, 24 countries have backed a first global conference on the transition, saying the summit in Colombia next April is needed to speed up efforts to wean the world off planet-heating oil, gas and coal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The conference aims to bring together governments, experts, industry leaders and Indigenous people among others, to chart \u201clegal, economic and social pathways\u201d for a fair and just phase-out of fossil fuels, Colombia\u2019s Environment Minister Irene V\u00e9lez Torres told journalists at COP30 on Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Supporters of the initiative include major fossil fuel producers Australia and Mexico, as well as several European, Latin American and Pacific island nations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Colombia and the Netherlands will co-host the event on April 28-29 in the Colombian port city of Santa Marta, which plays a significant role in coal exports.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Speaking after the release of a COP30 draft decision text that failed to mention fossil fuels, V\u00e9lez Torres told a packed-out room: \u201cWe know that this conversation cannot end here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must keep the momentum, lead with bravery, rise to the challenge, and build a coalition of the willing,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The conference is meant to sit alongside discussions taking place under the UN climate regime, where all 198 signatories need to reach decisions by consensus.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Conference to feed into COP31<\/p>\n
Vanuatu\u2019s climate minister Ralph Regenvanu said the Colombia-led coalition is needed to advance discussions over the transition regardless of what happens at COP30. The conference \u201cwill strengthen the process here next time we meet in Turkiye\u201d at COP31, he added.<\/p>\n
Australia, a backer of the initiative, announced this week that it will run negotiations at COP31 next year even though the conference will take place in the Turkish coastal city of Antalya.\u00a0<\/p>\n