"By creating a more flexible space for dialogue, bringing together from the outset local authorities, indigenous peoples and economic actors, the conference sketches a model complementary to traditional UN negotiations," says Pierrette Rey, spokesperson for WWF Switzerland.
At the end of April 2026, the city of Santa Marta, Colombia, hosted an unprecedented international conference specifically devoted to one of the most complex challenges of our time: the phase-out of fossil fuels. This meeting, co-organized by Colombia and the Netherlands, brought together 58 countries – including Switzerland – representing by themselves more than half of global GDP, 30% of the world’s population and nearly 20% of total coal, oil and gas production.
This conference marks a turning point. Although the international community agreed at COP28 on a just transition aiming to phase out fossil fuels, triple renewable energy capacities and double energy efficiency, it is precisely the phase-out of fossil fuels that remains the objective with the largest implementation gap.
The fact is that, in recent years, the global context has changed radically. The resurgence of climate denial, the imposition of tariffs, the escalation of trade disputes and the proliferation of armed conflicts – many of which have been amplified by disinformation and misinformation – have profoundly transformed the context in which the implementation phase of the Paris Agreement and the outcomes of the Earth Summit were situated.
Among the important advances is the creation of a scientific committee composed of experts from the fields of climate, economics and technology.
It is increasingly difficult to move dossiers forward and reach consensus. COP29, and even more so COP30, reflected this new reality. The adoption of a formal decision in plenary proved impossible, which led Brazil to propose an alternative path to organize the phase-out of fossil fuels: the development of a roadmap under its aegis. At the same time, Colombia and the Netherlands had already announced their intention to host a conference specifically devoted to this crucial process.
This conference therefore injects new momentum into international climate efforts. The discussions highlighted a reality now widely shared: decarbonization is not only a matter of technology, but involves a profound transformation of economic and social systems.
The situation in Switzerland demonstrates the urgency of phasing out fossil fuels, for both climatic and financial reasons. Oil and gas cost us about 18 billion francs per year. Climate-friendly alternatives exist and must be made accessible to everyone. They strengthen our energy independence and ease Swiss households’ budgets. WWF, together with other organizations, calls on the Confederation, the cantons and the population to act quickly. As part of a call for signatures, the NGOs propose five concrete measures that would reduce emissions, strengthen resilience and lower energy costs.
WWF welcomes the leading role played by countries of the Global South. This underlines the importance of this type of cooperation for the future, given the need for a coordinated transition. A second conference is already planned in 2027 in Tuvalu, in collaboration with Ireland. This continuity aims to maintain political pressure and ensure follow-up on progress made, while gradually expanding the coalition of committed countries.
Beyond the timetable, it is the very architecture of multilateral climate negotiations that is evolving. Progress has been made in three priority areas. First, the development of national roadmaps integrating the decisions taken at COP28. Second, the management of economic dependencies and the reform of the financial architecture. Finally, the rebalancing of trade and investment in service of decarbonization.
This approach marks an important shift: it recognizes that the transition cannot succeed without addressing the structural anchors of economies in fossil fuels, whether budgetary, industrial or social. It also underlines that the credibility of international commitments will now depend on their translation into concrete policies, adapted to national realities.
In Santa Marta, a momentum has been set in motion. The rest will now depend on the ability of States to make this "coalition of the willing" a true lever of global transformation.
Among the important advances is the creation of a specialized scientific committee, composed of experts from the fields of climate, economics and technology. Its role will be to strengthen the link between science and political decision-making, to restore trust in the process, to remobilize citizens and to illuminate future choices.
This committee will issue recommendations each year, until 2035, intended to contribute to the development of future measures and to accompany the implementation of policies for the phased exit from fossil fuels. It will also help to better integrate the climatic, social and economic dimensions of the transition, while strengthening the engagement of scientists from countries of the Global South.
In the background, Santa Marta redraws the contours of climate multilateralism. By creating a more flexible space for dialogue, involving local authorities, indigenous peoples and economic actors from the outset, the conference sketches a model complementary to traditional UN negotiations. This model could prove decisive for the next international steps, notably with a view to COP31 and subsequent cycles.
The phase-out of fossil fuels is undeniably a political process, but equally an economic one. It offers the opportunity to steer the planet towards a fairer and more inclusive economy. Renewable energies are now a tangible reality, as a recent report shows: during the first half of 2025, solar and wind energy grew faster than global electricity demand, allowing renewables to surpass coal in the global electricity mix.
However, a central challenge remains: to make this momentum concrete. The transition will have to reconcile energy security, social justice and economic transformation, while taking into account the deep disparities between countries. It will require massive investments, unprecedented international coordination and sustained societal engagement.
In Santa Marta, a momentum has been set in motion. The rest will now depend on the ability of States and their partners to make this "coalition of the willing" a true lever of global transformation.
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