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First global conference tackles phased exit from fossil fuels

First global conference tackles phased exit from fossil fuels

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The inaugural Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels conference is scheduled in Santa Marta, Colombia, from 24‑29 April and is jointly hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands. It will convene a "coalition of the willing" composed of 54 countries, subnational governments, civil society organisations, and academics, which aim to outline strategies for a global low‑carbon energy transition.

Irene Velez Torres
1. This is the beginning of a new global climate democracy.
2. The first [priority for the conference] is: how can we be less economically dependent on the production of fossil fuels.
3. Whatever nations have not yet taken that decision, then this is not the space for them. We are not going to have boycotters or climate denialists at the table.
Stientje Van Veldhoven-Van Der Meer
1. We will start concrete work with a group of countries with shared views on what a transition away from fossil fuels looks like and what is required: decrease supply and demand.
2. It is implementation time, no more discussions on ambitions.
Rachel Kyte
1. People seem refreshed to be able to talk about these issues without having to sort of argue the existential question of - do we need to do this at all?
Simon Stiell
1. Governments are pushing renewables plans into overdrive: to restore national security, economic stability, competitiveness, policy autonomy and basic sovereignty.
2. The economic logic of renewables [is] impossible to ignore.
3. Those who have fought to keep the world hooked on fossil fuels are inadvertently supercharging the global renewables boom.
4. The fossil fuel cost crisis now has its foot on the throat of the global economy.
Fatih Birol
International Energy Agency
1. The vase is broken, the damage is done – it will be very difficult to put the pieces back together. This will have permanent consequences for the global energy market for years to come.
2. Governments will review their energy strategies. There will be a significant boost to renewables and nuclear power and a further shift towards a more electrified future. And this will cut into the main markets for oil.
3. Their perception of risk and reliability will change.
4. I still cannot understand that the world was so blindsided, that the global economy can be held hostage to a 50km strait.
5. This is bigger than all the biggest crises combined, and therefore huge.
Bill McKibben
1. Sunlight travels 93m miles to reach the Earth – none of them through the strait of Hormuz.
Cristian Retamal
University of Chile
1. In the '90s, climate became an issue at the UN level because a few countries decided to start working on that and pushing for the UN system to address the issue.
Lili Fuhr
Center for International Environmental Law
1. Transitioning away from fossil fuels reduces exposure to both external dependencies and to toxic pollution, enables more stable development and strengthens self-determination and democracy.