COLOMBIA TO HOST THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR THE PHASE-OUT OF FOSSIL FUELS IN APRIL 2026
“What is needed to successfully overcome the climate crisis is a revolution of the people. It is a revolution of civilisations that must dialogue with each other.” - Gustavo Petro Urrego, President of the Republic of Colombia, addresses the General Debate of the 80th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations
Dear friend,
This is historic – and could mark a turning point in our fight for a fossil free future.
At the UN General Assembly, Colombia stepped forward with a bold proposal: to host the First International Conference for the Phase-Out of Fossil Fuelsin April 2026. It’s a historic offer—not just because it comes from a fossil fuel-producing country in the Global South, but because it dares to name the problem and convene the world around its solution.
This idea builds on the political momentum of the 17 nations participating in discussions on the negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Treaty, who called for exactly this course of action in their latest Senior Officials meeting held in June in Bonn. In a moment when climate diplomacy often feels stuck in abstraction, Colombia, and our network, are offering something concrete: a space to explicitly confront the root cause of the crisis, together.
I write this as someone who holds citizenship in two fossil fuel-exporting countries - Colombia, and also Australia. I know the weight of that contradiction—the pride of ‘growth’ and ‘development’ from extraction and the pain of knowing that our economies are tied to a system that’s burning the future and demolishing the present. I’ve seen how hard it is to shift the narrative from extraction to transition, especially when the political winds are unpredictable. But I’ve also seen what happens when people refuse to wait for perfect conditions and instead start fighting for real solutions today.
And we need that courage now more than ever.
On the same day as Colombia’s announcement, the 2025 Production Gap Report was released. It is sobering to say the least. Despite pledges, fossil fuel production is projected to be higher today than it was two years ago. We’re digging our own graves - faster and deeper than ever. New oil and gas fields are being approved. Coal is being revived. The machinery of expansion is still grinding forward, even as the climate breaks around us.
That’s why Colombia’s announcement matters. It’s not just symbolic—it’s strategic. The country’s fossil reserves are in decline, and its economic future lies in alternatives. Public support for transition is strong and cross-cutting. And the timing, while politically complex, is also an opportunity: to elevate the issue above partisan divides and anchor it as the sensible forward looking policy that it is. With as many international partners as possible.
It will take all of us.
This is a moment for all hands—governments at all levels, Indigenous peoples, trade unions, people of faith, healthcare professionals, young activists, and financial institutions actually invested in the future. The Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative will be working closely with partners in Colombia and globally to ensure this conference delivers what the world needs: vision, cooperation, and a clear path beyond fossil fuels.
You’ll be hearing from us soon on ways you can support further – for now, public support for Colombia’s leadership is critical.
In tough times, we look for slithers of hope. This is one. Let’s make it count.
Alex Rafalowicz Director, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative
P.S. More details on plans for the conference will be announced at COP30. If you are heading to Belém, fill out this quick form to let us know so we can keep you in the loop on plans on the ground! Let us know if you’re going to COP30
BUILDING GLOBAL MOMENTUM FOR A FOSSIL FUEL TREATY AT UNGA
At the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, leaders from Small Island Developing States and Colombia made powerful statements on the need for international cooperation for an equitable phase-out of fossil fuels, and reinforced their call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty. Hear these voices.
Vanuatu’s minister of climate change: “Our main effort now is building an architecture outside of COP using tools like the ICJ advisory opinion, to try and influence the process from outside and force states to comply with their obligations under international law.”Read more.
AFRICA CLIMATE SUMMIT CALLS FOR GLOBAL COOPERATION AND JUSTICE
The Africa Climate Summit closed in Addis Ababa with leaders reaffirming their commitment to scaling up renewable energy and highlighting the urgent need for international cooperation to deliver a just transition, echoing the vision of the proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty.
The summit’s official outcome, the Addis Declaration, called on developed nations to honor their climate finance commitments for adaptation and mitigation while urging reforms to ensure international finance is fair, accessible, and non-debt creating.
As environment and climate officials from all over the Pacific gathered in Apia, the first gathering of the Fossil Free Pacific Campaign was also underway, bringing together organisers, artists, faith community, and campaigners. The Pacific’s climate community focused on what it would take to create a Fossil Free Pacific and how to move the campaign forward.
The Fossil Free Pacific Campaign is another step in the region’s ongoing legacy of fighting for climate justice, providing a framework that charts a path forward by learning from the work already existing, while adding fresh perspectives and innovative ideas. As this is the beginning of a new chapter in this storied fight, we look forward to providing you with more progress updates in the coming months.
THE VIRTUAL SUMMIT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
The Treaty Virtual Summit brought together activists, diplomats, scientists, and frontline voices to imagine and accelerate a fossil fuel-free future. More than 800 people globally helped turn the digital space into something deeply alive - full of connection, insight, and momentum. The virtual summit may be over, but there are many ways to stay connected.
“Yes, the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty is a big new idea, but at this moment in history, with floods, fires and heatwaves sweeping the planet, we need big new ideas”
“Each of these groupings plays a role in driving different aspects of climate ambition. For instance, on September 24, we announced a new coalition of around 16 countries that will begin negotiating a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Colombia will host the first meeting next year. This process will mirror the model used in treaties like the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. It is starting outside the United Nations system, with like-minded states, before building broader momentum.” - Minister Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu
"The ICJ also emphasized that cooperation between states is central to meaningful climate action, and identified treaties as a crucial tool for coordinated implementation. This gives wind to the sails of emerging legal instruments. A fossil-fuel non-proliferation treaty has been proposed, for example, that would provide legal grounding for states to pursue coordinated, binding action on a fossil-fuel phase-out and a just transition to renewable energy.” - Maina Vakafua Talia, Tuvalu’s minister of home affairs, climate change and environment.
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