First International Conference on The Just Transition Away From Fossil Fuels
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"A little noticed ray of hope may be peeking over the horizon."
At the UN Cop30 climate summit last November, you may recall that whilst many positive initiatives were agreed, there was significant disappointment regarding progress on formulating a timeline for phasing out fossil fuels. That was because Saudi Arabia led a group of petrostates in vetoing calls to develop a “roadmap” to phase out fossil fuels globally; indeed, the words “fossil fuels” were not even mentioned in the final text agreed at Cop30. But the good news is that 85 countries on the losing end of that veto may soon turn the tables. Certainly, that's their plan.
Many of those governments will gather in Colombia on 28-29 April for a conference to begin a global transition away from oil, gas and coal. Critically, the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels will not be governed by UN rules, which require consensus, but by majority rule, thus preventing a handful of countries from sabotaging progress as petrostates did at Cop30. This is why The Guardian describes the conference as "a little noticed ray of hope may be peeking over the horizon." Better yet, the "underlying terrain of this conference will no longer be principally politics, but economics."
The conference, co-sponsored by Colombia and the Netherlands, aims to begin drawing up the roadmap blocked at Cop30. Energy and environment ministers of governments comprising a “coalition of the willing” will share plans to transition their economies away from oil, gas and coal without leaving workers and communities behind. The secret weapon of the “coalition of the willing” is its potential to function as an economic superpower.
At least 85 countries at Cop30 backed developing a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels. Included among them were Germany, UK, France and Spain - the world’s third, sixth, seventh and 12th biggest economies. In the south, Brazil and Mexico - the world’s 10th and 13th biggest economies - also backed the measure. Combine the gross national products of those 85 countries and the total is $33 trillion. That’s larger than the $30 trillion GNP of the US, the world’s biggest economy. Thus, the argument goes, such significant economic heft gives those 85 countries enormous potential leverage if they club together. The scales could tilt even further if California joins the “coalition of the willing”.
If those attending the Just Transition conference can outline a credible roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels for the wider group to unite behind, it could have a seismic impact. “A coalition of that scale signaling its intent to move beyond fossil fuels would send an unmistakable message that the age of oil, gas, and coal is ending, and the smart money is shifting,” Mohamed Adow, director of the non-profit Power Shift Africa, said in an interview.
The Just Transition conference underscores a point often missed in the usual narrative on climate change: the overwhelming majority of the world’s people (89 percent of them) want their governments to take stronger climate action.
