Scientists Urge Nations to Halt Fossil Fuel Expansion at Colombia Summit

Scientists Call for Immediate Action on Fossil Fuels Ahead of Colombia Summit

Countries gathering for a first-of-its-kind fossil-fuel transition summit in Colombia have been presented with a preliminary scientific report urging them to consider sweeping action recommendations, including halting all new fossil-fuel expansion and rejecting gas as a bridging fuel.

The report, obtained by Carbon Brief, outlines 12 "action insights" and a broader set of recommendations for policymakers attending the summit in Santa Marta from April 24–29. Among the proposals are calls to phase out subsidies for fossil-fuel production and consumption and to establish a legal framework to ban fossil-fuel advertisements.

Summit Aims to Accelerate Fossil-Fuel Phaseout

Around 50 nations will participate in the summit, co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands. The event, dubbed the "coalition of the willing," seeks to debate strategies for transitioning away from fossil fuels amid worsening climate change and volatile oil prices.

This gathering follows a push at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil (November 2024) for a global "roadmap" away from fossil fuels, which ultimately failed to secure unanimous agreement among nations.

Scientific Report Provides Actionable Recommendations

The preliminary report, titled "Action insights for the Santa Marta process", was compiled by an ad-hoc group of approximately 24 scientists in a rapid assessment. Its goal is to equip governments with concrete, science-backed recommendations to guide their discussions.

The report has already been shared with participating nations to inform their preparations. A final version, refined through further debate among scientists during the summit’s academic segment, is expected by the end of April.

Report’s Origins and Rapid Development

The report’s development began shortly after the conclusion of COP30, according to its lead author, Dr. Friedrich Bohn, a research scientist and co-founder of the Earth Resilience Institute in Germany.

Bohn told Carbon Brief: "When [Brazil] announced there would be a Santa Marta conference led by Colombia and the Netherlands, I was sitting with a small group of scientists. We thought: ‘This is great news, but it should be supported by scientific expertise.’"

An existing relationship between a member of Bohn’s team and the Colombian government facilitated early discussions, transforming the initial idea from a peer-reviewed paper into a synthesis report. Bohn added: "In the beginning, the idea was to just write a peer-reviewed paper. But, because of this close connection to the Colombian government and some feedback from them, the synthesis paper evolved."

The process relied on "goodwill" and expedited collaboration to meet tight deadlines, resulting in a report designed to influence high-level policymaking.

Key Recommendations from the Scientific Report

• Halt all new fossil-fuel expansion immediately to align with climate goals.
• Reject gas as a 'bridging fuel' and prioritize renewable energy transitions.
• Phase out subsidies for both fossil-fuel production and consumption.
• Establish a legal framework to ban fossil-fuel advertisements and limit industry influence.
• Develop a forum to create enforceable policies for fossil-fuel phaseout.