Santa Marta Conference Fossil Fuel Phaseout

CIEL's statement on the 2026 Santa Marta Conference calls for a binding international Fossil Fuel Treaty to manage the phaseout of oil, gas, and coal. Grounding its arguments in ICJ and ITLOS rulings, CIEL urges the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, the dismantling of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms, and the cessation of offshore drilling and petrochemical expansion. The organization emphasizes that the transition must be funded by major historical polluters and centered on human rights and Indigenous leadership.

• The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands from April 24–29, 2026, in Santa Marta, aims to gather over fifty countries to implement a "managed, financed, and equitable fossil fuel phaseout."
• CIEL advocates for the establishment of a Fossil Fuel Treaty (FFT), described as a "new, binding legal instrument" that would manage the international phaseout of oil, gas, and coal. This treaty is intended to fill a governance gap and complement existing processes under the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC, which primarily focus on national-level action through nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
• CIEL asserts that States have legal obligations to phase out fossil fuels based on clarifications from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). To meet these duties, CIEL argues that governments must end new fossil fuel licensing and public subsidies, halt offshore oil and gas expansion, and eliminate Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms that allow companies to sue governments for climate actions.
• A credible transition requires addressing fossil fuel use beyond the energy sector, specifically by halting the expansion of petrochemicals used for ammonia and plastics. Additionally, CIEL argues that the transition must be funded by the largest cumulative polluters through debt relief, reparations, and the redirection of public funds away from fossil fuel subsidies and militarization.
• CIEL identifies several "dangerous distractions" and structural barriers that delay the fossil fuel phaseout, including carbon capture, offsets, and geoengineering. The organization calls for a global non-use agreement on geoengineering.

APA

Reisch, N., & Fuhr, L. (2026). Santa Marta Conference Fossil Fuel Phaseout. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/santa-marta-conference-fossil-fuel-phaseout/

Chicago

Reisch, Nikki, and Lili Fuhr. Santa Marta Conference Fossil Fuel Phaseout. Center for International Environmental Law, 2026. https://www.ciel.org/santa-marta-conference-fossil-fuel-phaseout/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Reisch |first1=Nikki |last2=Fuhr |first2=Lili |title=Santa Marta Conference Fossil Fuel Phaseout |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=15 April 2026 |url=https://www.ciel.org/santa-marta-conference-fossil-fuel-phaseout/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{reisch2026santa, author = {Reisch, Nikki and Fuhr, Lili}, title = {{Santa Marta Conference Fossil Fuel Phaseout}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://www.ciel.org/santa-marta-conference-fossil-fuel-phaseout/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }