More than 60 countries back a binding fossil fuel treaty, citing climate injustice, weak global frameworks and urgent need for finance, cooperation and a just transition away from coal, oil and gas.
A coalition of Global South countries has called for a legally binding international treaty to phase out fossil fuels following a three-day high-level ministerial meeting in Santa Marta.
The meeting, held ahead of the First International Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, brought together ministers and senior officials from more than 60 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific, signalling growing momentum for coordinated global action.
Chaired by Irene Vélez Torres, the discussions focused on closing major gaps in global climate governance and accelerating a fair transition away from coal, oil and gas.
“Countries of the Global South must not pay the price of a crisis they did not cause,” Vélez Torres said, stressing the need for a treaty grounded in equity, finance and economic transformation.
The coalition, including 18 countries involved in the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, was joined by 10 observer states such as Ghana, Kenya, Nepal and the Maldives, marking the largest participation to date and reflecting rising political interest in a formal treaty process.
Delegates agreed on key priorities, including initiating negotiations for a Fossil Fuel Treaty, strengthening international cooperation and advancing financial mechanisms such as a Global Just Transition Fund and a Debt Resolution Facility to support vulnerable economies.
Maina Vakafua Talia of Tuvalu said the world must move from discussion to delivery.
“The era of fossil fuel expansion is over,” he said, offering Tuvalu as host of the next global conference on just transition.
Ministers noted that existing frameworks, including those under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, have failed to deliver the speed and scale of action needed to keep global warming within 1.5°C.
They also referred to a recent opinion by the International Court of Justice suggesting that continued fossil fuel expansion could violate international law, strengthening the case for a binding supply-side framework.
Ralph Regenvanu of Vanuatu said a treaty could introduce concrete measures such as ending new fossil fuel projects, setting fair phase-out timelines and removing legal barriers that keep countries locked into fossil fuel dependence.
The proposal draws comparisons to the Ottawa Convention, which successfully advanced global agreements outside traditional consensus-based negotiations.
Ministers from Malawi, Kenya and Ghana highlighted intensifying climate impacts in their countries, including floods, droughts and energy vulnerabilities, and called for scaled-up finance and international cooperation to enable a just transition.
The coalition also rejected what it described as false solutions, including carbon offsetting, carbon capture and geoengineering, warning that such approaches risk prolonging fossil fuel use rather than ending it.
Public mobilisation is also growing. More than 140 events were held in over 30 countries, including Dhaka, where campaigners called for a global fossil fuel phase-out and stronger political commitment.
Observers say the Santa Marta meeting could mark a turning point in global climate diplomacy by shifting focus toward binding limits on fossil fuel production rather than voluntary commitments alone.
The next phase of the process is expected to continue in the Pacific region, as countries push to translate political momentum into formal negotiations on what could become the first global treaty directly targeting fossil fuels.
