The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, convened by Colombia and the Netherlands in Santa Marta, marked a significant shift in climate governance, bringing together 57 countries and diverse stakeholders. This initiative signals growing impatience with multilateral climate negotiations, which have been hampered by geopolitical tensions and fossil fuel interests, leading to a “multilateral zombie” COP process.
The plurilateral process aims to advance the fossil fuel phase-out agenda toward practical implementation, with national governments designing roadmaps aligned with Paris Agreement targets. While multilateral diplomacy once fostered global frameworks, geopolitical tensions, major power rivalry, and North-South distrust now impede collective action. Plurilateral initiatives, like Santa Marta, offer a “coalition of the ambitious” to raise commitments, test implementation pathways, and build trust, acting as a laboratory for cooperation. This approach extends to AI governance and critical minerals. However, the absence of major emitters such as China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, or the United States from Santa Marta raises questions about its effectiveness in achieving required emissions reductions, despite its complementary role to the COP process.
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