Santa Marta and COP30: A Push for Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels

COP30 in Belem, Brazil was jolted by a tent fire that threatened to derail a major fossil fuel roadmap announcement. The episode spotlights a new push for a Just Transition, culminating in a planned Santa Marta conference in Colombia to advance a global path away from coal, oil, and gas.

Overview: COP30 context and the fire incident

The Shortwave episode opens with a scene at COP30, noting the urgency of reducing fossil fuel use as the dominant driver of climate change. The day before the conference was to close, a fire in a large tent sparked evacuations and raised questions about whether a pivotal announcement—organized by a coalition of roughly 20 countries led by Colombia—would still go forward. The host and reporter recount the broader climate dynamics: despite three decades of COPs, language committing to phasing out fossil fuels remains elusive due to consensus rules and opposing interests among major producers. A key figure, Andres Gomez of Colombia, appears on screen with a list of nations aiming to announce the creation of an International Conference on the Just Transition away from fossil fuels, sometimes referred to as the Santa Marta conference. A post-fire press conference finally unveils an official statement grounding the fossil-fuel transition in scientific truth and announces the Santa Marta forum. "No mention of fossil fuels." - Nikki Rice, climate and energy director at the Center for International Environmental Law

The Santa Marta concept: a different kind of climate diplomacy

The narrative then frames the Santa Marta conference as a parallel, interim step to COP, designed to bypass the slow, consensus-driven COP process. Proponents argue that a smaller group of high-ambition countries should move more quickly to craft concrete transition measures, including redirecting subsidies from fossil fuels toward renewables and storage, and creating equitable job transitions for workers in coal, oil, and gas sectors. Andres and his colleagues describe a roadmap for a spring 2026 gathering in Santa Marta, Colombia, with co-hosts including the Netherlands. Colombian Environment Minister Irene Velez Torres explains the conference’s intended purpose: to provide a clear space where the phase-out of fossil fuels is acknowledged as necessary but is approached prudently to address fairness and implementation challenges. The idea of the Santa Marta conference is to have this first space in which we are completely clear that the phasing out is necessary because it's not easy.

Fossil fuel treaty, governance, and potential impact on climate politics

The program also introduces the fossil fuel treaty concept—a legally binding framework to formalize a just transition away from fossil fuels. Supporters include a coalition of 18 countries and several cities, with advocates from the NGO and legal communities, including Nikki Reich of the Center for International Environmental Law. The episode notes that the Paris Agreement lacks a step-by-step implementation plan, and current pledges fall well short of the 1.5 C target. Journalists and academics describe Santa Marta as a potential inflection point: coalition-building among “the willing” could accelerate action even as laggards resist binding obligations. The episode closes with reflections that, while the pathway is uncertain, the mere establishment of a dedicated forum to discuss a just transition signals a meaningful shift in how climate diplomacy might progress in coming years. “This is a very, very big deal.” - Jessica Green, University of Toronto