Countries meet in first global effort to phase out fossil fuels

The BBC reports that approximately 60 countries are gathering in Santa Marta, Colombia, to negotiate the first coordinated global effort to phase out fossil fuels—a breakthrough after major oil producers blocked similar language at UN COP30 talks in Brazil last November. The reporting is sourced from named officials including UK Climate Envoy Rachel Kyte and former Irish President Mary Robinson, and includes expert commentary from Prof Johan Rockström on climate science timelines and near-term warming thresholds. Multiple independent outlets (Guardian, Politico, Climate Change News) corroborate the meeting's significance as a 'coalition of the willing' designed to circumvent consensus-blocking dynamics at UN climate summits, though reporting also flags that major fossil fuel producers (US, China, India) are notably absent and that Global South debt burdens may hamper developing nations' energy transitions. Watch for the outcomes and commitments announced at the Santa Marta meeting, Brazil's fossil fuel transition roadmap due before COP31 in November 2026, and whether this coalition model successfully pressures major economies to accelerate decarbonization timelines.