Belgium to join first international summit on fossil fuel transition
Belgium is among 45 countries that will meet in Colombia next month for the first international summit on the transition away from fossil fuels.
In addition to Belgium, countries including the Netherlands, Angola, Brazil, Cambodia, Germany, Fiji, France, Luxembourg, Spain and Vietnam have confirmed they will be attending the summit in the coastal town of Santa Marta at the end of April. The European Union will also be sending a delegation.
Together, the 45 countries account for a fifth of global production and almost a third of global consumption of fossil fuels. They includes areas that are extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change, such as Tuvalu, as well as major producers of fossil fuels, such as Norway.
An international coalition will be formed at the summit to drive a transition away from fossil fuels. This transition was already agreed at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in 2023, but was not followed up on. During COP30 in Brazil last year, Colombia pushed hard to put the issue back on the agenda, but once again it failed to make it into the final text.
Colombia then decided to press ahead on its own, with the Netherlands, which is co-organiser of next month’s event, and a coalition of willing countries. The first meeting will take place from 24-29 April in Santa Marta.
Climate activists at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, November 2025 © PHOTO BIANCA OTERO / ZUMA PRESS WIRE
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