Despite disappointment with COP30's outcome, climate advocates are focusing on the first international conference on phasing out fossil fuels in Colombia in April 2026. Colombia and the Netherlands announced the event, building on momentum from COP30 where over 80 countries supported a fossil fuel phaseout roadmap. They call for action outside UN talks to accelerate a transition to a fossil-free future.
In the final hours of the UN climate talks in Belem, Brazil, in November 2025, Colombia and the Netherlands announced they will co-host the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels in April 2026. Though dubbed the 'implementation COP,' COP30 disappointed delegates and activists as the fossil fuel phaseout roadmap was omitted from the Mutirão decision, with the deal sidestepping such language and only securing a climate finance boost.
“Initiatives such as those led by Colombia give us hope that an era of real action and accountability is underway outside of the COPs,” said Avril de Torres, deputy executive director of the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development. De Torres noted the greatest win from Belem came from outside negotiating halls, from Global Southern leaders calling for a roadmap to a fossil-free future even beyond official texts.
The 350.org group stated that momentum for a fossil fuel phaseout is accelerating rapidly. “The momentum is now unstoppable, starting with the fossil fuel phaseout conference in Colombia next April,” said Ilan Zugman, Latin America and Caribbean director of 350.org. Nikki Reisch of the Center for International Environmental Law called the conference “the first stop on the path to a livable future.” She added, “A Fossil Fuel Treaty is the roadmap the world needs and leaders failed to deliver in Belem.”
During the closing plenary, countries including Panama, Colombia, and Uruguay objected to the final text after COP president André Corrêa do Lago gaveled down the deal. Sierra Leone criticized the “unclear” and “unusable” adaptation indicators. Climate justice activist Yeb Saño said they leave Belem “with a profound sense of dissonance.” “The Mutirão is not over — but will move out of the plenary halls and back into the streets, the parishes, schools, and the communities,” he added. “We will not wait for any COP outcome to avert the climate crisis.”