SANTA MARTA, COLOMBIA — 
A PLACE OF LOVE & HOPE

Dear friends,

For 30 years, we’ve been talking about emissions that cause the climate crisis and while we’ve been talking, behind our backs the industry that profits the most from climate catastrophe has only grown bigger. But now that changes.

In just a few weeks, I’ll be returning to Santa Marta, Colombia, a place that holds deep personal meaning for me. It’s a place close to my heart, where I got married, and where I’ve since become a proud citizen of this beautiful country. It’s a place of joy, community, resistance, and belonging. And now, it’s about to become something more: a historic turning point for mine and my children's generations.

From April 24–29, Santa Marta will host the world’s first diplomatic conference dedicated to transitioning away from fossil fuels. This isn’t just another summit. It’s the start of a new pathway, led by nations ready to move beyond pledges and take on the fossil fuel industry directly.

For too long, climate negotiations have focused on managing the symptoms of the crisis while ignoring its root cause: the unchecked proliferation of oil, gas, and coal. Fossil fuels aren’t just warming our planet. They’re polluting our air, driving conflict, trapping nations in debt, and deepening inequality. 

The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East show just how dangerous our dependence has become. No country can solve this alone. We need true international cooperation — real, fair, and just — to make sure no one is left behind.

That’s why Santa Marta matters. And this is where we hope to advance the most articulated plan we currently have to overcome this crisis: a global Fossil Fuel Treaty. This is the framework we’ve been dreaming of, designing, and fighting for, and Santa Marta is where we can start to get real about bringing it to life.

At Santa Marta, our network has one clear goal: to set the stage for the negotiations of a Fossil Fuel Treaty. A treaty could give us the tools we’ve been missing — debt relief for Global South nations, a Global Just Transition Fund, and real commitments to stop new fossil fuel projects. It would complement existing climate agreements with the legal and financial muscle to turn ambition into action.

This is our chance to build a future that’s healthy, safe, prosperous, and truly fair for everyone. A future where energy sovereignty replaces exploitation, where peace replaces conflict, and where justice guides every step of the transition.

In the spirit of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, considered by local Indigenous peoples as "el corazón del mundo", I call on each one of you to come together to protect what we love, and build the future we all deserve.

I hope you’ll stand with us — whether by urging your government to act, organizing in your community, or sharing our story. This movement is built by people like you, and your voice has never mattered more.

With love & hope,

Alex Rafalowicz
Director, Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative

PEOPLE’S SUMMIT FOR A FOSSIL FREE FUTURE

This April, governments will meet in Santa Marta, Colombia for a historic conference addressing the phase out of fossil fuels. Will you be part of history by organising or joining one of more than 1,000 satellite events globally this April? 

Join the People’s Summit for a Fossil Free Future, one of the largest ever organising efforts to build power, create momentum, and push policymakers to manage a fast, fair and financed transition away from coal, oil and gas production – including through making sure the Santa Marta Conference advances a significant step toward negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Treaty.

Add your local event to the map!

CARIBBEAN LEADERS DEFINE PATHWAYS FOR A JUST TRANSITION

Caribbean leaders and civil society gathered in Saint Lucia to define pathways for a just transition. Discussions reinforced the Caribbean’s legacy in securing a 1.5°C limit, the science underscoring the urgency of fossil fuel transition, the evolving international legal landscape, and the need for coordinated regional engagement. 

Participants examined where global conversation now stands on fossil fuel transition and phase-out. 

Read the Civil Society Outcome Statement

ASIA CONVENINGS BUILD MOMENTUM TOWARD SANTA MARTA

Across Asia, momentum is building for a just and equitable transition away from fossil fuels. Recent regional convenings in Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Malaysia have brought together civil society, advocates, and leaders to align priorities and map out pathways toward meaningful engagement at the upcoming Santa Marta conference.

These convenings highlight Asia’s critical role in advancing global climate action and ensuring that Asian priorities are reflected in global decision-making spaces. By connecting regional efforts to the international stage, these convenings are helping to build a coordinated push for a just transition away from fossil fuels.

WOMEN AND GIRLS IN AFRICA ARE PAYING THE PRICE FOR RISING DEBT

A new report released by African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) and the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative illustrates that the escalating debt crisis is colliding with fossil fuel entrapment and patriarchal systems - with women and girls experiencing the worst impacts. 

It shows that climate change, fossil fuel extraction and debt all reinforce gender injustices. Africa is at the frontlines of the global climate, fossil fuels and debt polycrisis that is largely based on unjust systems perpetuating extraction of resources to the Global North.

Watch the webinar

SUPPORT THIS DEFINING MOMENT IN GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION

The global transition away from fossil fuels needs more than ambition - it needs alignment, collaboration and investment.

We have a variety of opportunities for sponsors to support the successful delivery of the First Conference on Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels and our wider work towards an equitable phaseout of fossil fuels. Our team can co-create events that align with your strategic priorities and help build momentum for this movement. The First Conference will be the first of many Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative moments this year, presenting plenty opportunities to collaborate. 

If your organisation is serious about a just transition, this is the time to get involved. 

Contact the team on sponsorships@transitionawayconference.com to explore what’s possible.

IN THE MEDIA

“Activists from Climate Action Network Southeast Asia, Oxfam and the Fossil Fuel Treaty convened in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week to discuss strategies to protect the global environment at the Southeast Asia-South Asia Preparatory Meeting for the Santa Marta Conference in Colombia next month and Cop31 in Antalya, Turkey, in November.”

“In the InfluenceMap press release, Tzeporah Berman, chair and founder of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, called out these companies for "actively sabotaging climate action and weakening government ambition.”

“The proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty aims to create a coordinated global mechanism to phase out fossil fuel production, prevent new exploration projects, and provide financial and technical support for a just transition.”

SOCIALS WORTH SHARING

Kenya’s County Governments have endorsed the call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty!

This collective effort underscores the critical role of local governments in driving climate solutions from the ground up. It sends a clear message: communities on the frontlines are ready for a managed phase-out of fossil fuels and a shift to renewable energy.

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What is fossil fuel imperialism? And what can we do about it?

Fossil imperialism refers to the use of imperial violence and economic coercion to control global fossil fuel resources and supply chains. These examples are not an exhaustive history of fossil imperialism, and all of them also involve issues other than energy—but it’s undeniable that coal, oil, and gas are fueling conflict all around the world.

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Help sustain this growing global momentum by making a donation to advance the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative’s work toward a fast, fair and financed transition from oil, gas and coal extraction.

Thank you for helping us take the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative to the next level!