More than 50 countries gathered in Santa Marta, Colombia, to launch the first international conference on fossil‑fuel‑free trade. Delegates pledged to develop trade measures that curb demand for coal, oil and gas and to expose the subsidies each nation provides to the sector. The meeting, co‑hosted with the Netherlands, framed the transition as a concrete political effort rather than rhetoric.

Organisers warned that fossil‑fuel subsidies exceed $900bn annually, locking economies into carbon‑intensive pathways and diverting public capital from renewables. Major emitters—China, the United States and India—were absent, with the United States and Russia explicitly excluded for their “extractivist” agendas. China participated only through private‑sector firms, a compromise aimed at avoiding the stalemate that often stalls UN climate talks.

The Netherlands co‑chairs a 17‑nation coalition targeting the removal of fossil‑fuel incentives, a model the Santa Marta participants will use to audit their own finances. Road‑maps outlining phased bans on production and consumption were also agreed, echoing France’s recent timeline for ending coal, oil and gas use. The agreements create a strategically crafted template that could shape trade clauses in future bilateral deals.