The final outcome report from the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, presented during London Climate Action Week, signals growing international support for stronger global governance to phase out fossil fuels. The conference, co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands in Santa Marta earlier this year, brought together representatives from 57 countries as well as Indigenous Peoples, civil society, youth, scientists and workers.
One of the report's strongest messages is the need for new international mechanisms to manage a just and equitable transition beyond existing UN climate processes. Around 80% of participating stakeholder groups called for an international framework such as a Fossil Fuel Treaty, arguing that current multilateral institutions have failed to deliver operational tools for a global fossil fuel phase-out.
Of particular interest from a public health perspective, the report highlights broad agreement among governments and stakeholders that national climate plans should explicitly recognise the health benefits of reducing fossil fuel use, including cleaner air through reduced air pollution.
The Santa Marta Process will continue with a second conference in Tuvalu in 2027, where participants hope to move from dialogue to concrete international cooperation and implementation
Source: Fossil Fuel Treaty Press Release 23 June 2026, https://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/santa-marta-report
