Santa Marta Climate Conference, Background, Objectives, Role

In April 2026, representatives from more than 50 countries met in Santa Marta to discuss ways to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. This conference was organised due to growing dissatisfaction with the slow progress of global climate negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Santa Marta Conference Background

Global climate negotiations mainly take place through the Conference of the Parties (COP) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). While this platform includes almost all countries, it works on a consensus-based system, where decisions require agreement from all parties. This often leads to delays in decision-making, weak or diluted commitments and lack of clear progress on fossil fuel reduction. 

The Santa Marta conference was therefore created as a “coalition of willing countries” that are ready to take stronger and faster action without being restricted by consensus rules.

About Santa Marta Conference

The Santa Marta Climate Conference 2026 was an international meeting where countries came together to deliberate on strategies for gradually reducing and ultimately eliminating the use of fossil fuels in order to address climate change more effectively.

• The conference was held in Santa Marta from 24 to 29 April 2026
• It was jointly hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands
• It was attended by 57 countries, which together represent nearly 50 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product
• The conference was conducted outside the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and its outcomes are not legally binding.

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Objectives of Santa Marta Conference

• The conference sought to encourage countries to develop clear, time-bound national roadmaps for reducing and eventually eliminating the use of fossil fuels in line with global climate goals.
• It aimed to align trade, finance and investment policies with low-carbon development pathways so that economic systems support rather than hinder climate action.
• A key objective was to promote the transition towards renewable energy systems by facilitating cooperation in technology, infrastructure and policy frameworks.
• It also aimed to strengthen international cooperation through a flexible coalition of willing countries, allowing faster progress outside the constraints of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
• Another important objective was to address gaps in global climate governance, particularly the lack of consensus on fossil fuel phase-out in existing multilateral negotiations.
• The conference further aimed to promote evidence-based policymaking through the proposed establishment of an international scientific body on energy transition.

Santa Marta Conference Key Highlights

The conference’s discussions were organised across three thematic pillars: overcoming dependence on fossil fuels, transforming supply and demand, and advancing international cooperation and climate diplomacy.

• The conference brought together diverse countries such as Germany, Spain, Brazil, Nigeria and Nepal, showing cooperation across different economic levels.
• Key countries such as the United States, China and India did not participate, limiting the overall effectiveness
• France announced a detailed plan to phase out coal by 2030, oil by 2045 and gas by 2050. 
• The conference emphasised alignment of trade, finance and investment policies with climate goals to support the transition towards low-carbon economies.
• There was growing support for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, especially from small island developing states
• A new International Scientific Panel on energy transition was established — complementary to the IPCC but with a dedicated fossil fuel phase-out mandate.
• Countries agreed to meet again in 2027 in Tuvalu, co-hosted by Tuvalu and Ireland.