Colombia: Nations Backing Fossil Fuel Exit Are a 'New Power' in Global Climate Diplomacy

As the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta approached its final days on April 27, host Colombia declared that nations backing fossil fuel exit have emerged as a 'new power' in global climate diplomacy — a meaningful counterweight to the consensus-driven pace of the UNFCCC process. The conference produced a framework for a second meeting and a commitment to further develop a Fossil Fuel Treaty as legal architecture for managed phase-out. Over 60 nations participated, with particular momentum from Pacific island states, Scandinavian countries, and several major oil producers including Norway, Canada, and Brazil. Analysts noted the conference's significance as a 'coalition of the willing' approach modeled on the 2019 High Ambition Coalition, capable of building political momentum outside the all-countries framework that has historically limited the pace of climate negotiations.