Forty-six countries, including major oil, coal and gas producers such as Canada, Australia, Brazil and Norway, have confirmed they will attend next month’s first conference on speeding up the global shift from fossil fuels, the Colombian government said on Tuesday.
The summit, being held in the Colombian port city of Santa Marta from April 24-29, aims to cement an international coalition of nations committed to ending the world’s reliance on planet-heating oil, coal and natural gas.
The conference represents an “unprecedented opportunity” for the energy transition as it brings hydrocarbon-producing nations together with fossil fuel consumers and countries at the forefront of the climate crisis, Colombia’s acting environment minister, Irene Vélez Torres, said in a statement.
“Despite our differences, all participants agree on the need to prioritize science and to move forward, urgently and in a coordinated manner, toward phasing out the production and consumption of natural gas, coal, and oil,” she added.
Who is going to Santa Marta?
Canada is the largest fossil fuel producer confirmed to attend. The country accounts for roughly 6% of global oil output and 5% of gas production, with both sectors expanding over the past decade, according to the Energy Institute.
Its powerful fossil fuel industry continues to push for increased production and new export markets, particularly in Asia. However, further investment risks creating stranded assets, according to a recent report by Carbon Tracker. Canada’s latest national climate plan did not include any concrete measures to curb its fossil fuel production.
Australia will also be represented in Santa Marta as co-host of the COP31 climate summit. One of the world’s largest exporters of coal and liquefied natural gas, Australia supplies energy-hungry markets across Asia. The centre-left government led by Anthony Albanese has approved 36 new or extended fossil fuel projects since taking office in 2022, according to the Climate Council.
Fellow COP31 co-host Turkey is also set to attend. Despite growing investment in renewables, the country remains heavily reliant on coal power. Murat Kurum, the incoming COP31 president, said last month that emissions cuts should not come at the expense of economic growth. “We cannot simplify things down to only fossil fuels,” he said.
Norway, another participant, has built its wealth on oil and gas exports and has become a key supplier to Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While positioning itself as a climate leader, Norway argues its relatively low-emissions production can help meet demand during the transition, a stance critics say undermines global efforts to phase out fossil fuels.
The list of participants also includes Brazil and Mexico, both among the world’s top oil producers; Angola, one of Africa’s leading oil exporters; Senegal, which only began producing oil two years ago; and Trinidad and Tobago, where hydrocarbons generate around half of government revenue. Vietnam remains heavily dependent on coal for power generation but is working with wealthy nations to accelerate a shift to renewables.
Notably absent are the world’s largest fossil fuel producers and consumers, including the United States, Saudi Arabia and Russia, which together account for nearly half of global oil production. The biggest coal producers, China and India, are also not on the current list of participants.
Attendees also include nations that are highly vulnerable to the climate crisis primarily caused by burning fossil fuels, including island nations Palau, Fiji and Vanuatu, and Sierra Leone.
More momentum than commitments
The Santa Marta conference is expected to deliver political momentum rather than binding commitments, with organisers aiming to launch a “coalition of the willing” to advance a fossil fuel phase-out outside the constraints of UN consensus negotiations.
The outcomes of the summit are also expected to inform discussions at COP31, where an informal roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels drafted by the Brazilian COP30 team is expected to be delivered.
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Andreas Sieber, head of political strategy at campaign group 350.org, told Climate Home News that “starting with a coalition of doers creates momentum”.
“This also comes at a critical point in time, when ordinary people bear the cost of fossil fuel volatility and geopolitical shocks,” he added. “These countries can demonstrate what credible transition looks like and compel others to follow”.
Colombia’s Vélez Torres said last week that the global energy shock triggered by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran could give countries the chance to build a “new geopolitical balance” by boosting the transition away from fossil fuels.
