A group of about 60 countries, including some major oil producers, are meeting to discuss moving away from fossil fuels. This is a goal that UN climate summits have not yet achieved.
The meeting is happening in Santa Marta, Colombia. The world is getting warmer quickly, mostly because of coal, oil, and gas use.
Working Around UN Deadlock
The countries at this meeting supply about one-fifth of the world's fossil fuels. These include Colombia, Australia, and Nigeria. However, big players like the US, China, and India are not taking part in these talks.
We're a new kind of news feed.
Regular news is designed to drain you. We're a non-profit built to restore you. Every story we publish is scored for impact, progress, and hope.
Start Your News DetoxProgress at the yearly UN COP climate meetings has been slow. This is because decisions need everyone's agreement. This gives large fossil fuel producers a way to block plans.
At COP30 in Brazil last November, plans to create a roadmap away from fossil fuels failed. Major oil-producing nations did not agree to the plan. Delegates say this new meeting in Colombia is meant to help the COP process, not replace it.
Scientists say that if warming goes past 1.5 degrees Celsius, dangerous effects become more likely and harder to stop. Professor Johan Rockström, from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, noted that we will likely pass the 1.5C limit soon. He explained that this means entering a more dangerous world with more droughts, floods, fires, and heatwaves.
Shifting Energy Debates
Events outside of climate discussions are also changing the talk about fossil energy. While the US has supported coal, oil, and gas under President Trump, many other countries are unsure about how quickly to move away from fossil fuels.
Those at the Santa Marta meeting hope to show that many countries are ready to switch to renewable energy. UK Climate Envoy Rachel Kyte, who is attending, said the UK is ready to share its experience with moving to clean energy.
Recent conflicts in the Middle East have raised oil prices. This highlights the risks of relying on fossil fuels and brings energy security back into focus. Former Irish President Mary Robinson, attending the meeting, said these events make the need for action even more urgent.
Professor Rockström mentioned that Mercedes-Benz has seen a sharp rise in demand for electric vehicles in Europe. People want energy independence and do not want to rely on a changing oil and gas market.
This new group of countries raises questions about whether it will move away from the COP process. Katerine Petersen from the think tank E3G believes that not all countries are needed to start global progress. She thinks a group can grow over time and show its value.
The organizers emphasize that this meeting is not an alternative to COP. Instead, they see it as a way to help the COP process. Some leaders from the Brazilian COP will be in Santa Marta. The main ideas from this meeting will be part of Brazil's plan to move away from fossil fuels. Brazil plans to release this roadmap before COP31 in Turkey in November.
