Archive for May, 2026

“There is a straight line of connection between the fossil fuel economy and armed conflicts at the global scale.” —Irene Vélez Torres, Colombia’s environment minister

“To robbery, butchery and rapine, they give the lying name of government; they create a desolation and call it peace…” —Tacitus, Roman historian AD 56 to c.120

“Somehow, I think, we need to find new kinds of imagining, new ways of being that will leave us less alone in this world, less the desolate lords of Tacitus’ victory field. Our aliveness, as well as all life that lies beyond the human, is at stake in this.” —Robert Macfarlane, Is a River Alive? 

For three decades Indigenous groups and the global south have been sidelined in favour of an industrial-based hegemony whereby the words “fossil fuels” never appeared (except at COP28 in 2023) in the final texts of UN COP summits, rendering the entire process farcical as well as profoundly flawed and tragic. The hopes of many at the COP30 in Brazil last November that fossil fuels would be vigorously exposed and repudiated for what they are were dashed.

The frustration and disappointment voiced created a concrete demand for viable solutions on climate warming, and the despair changed to positivity and optimism last month when the first historically important Transition Away from Fossil Fuels conference took place in the city of Santa Marta, Colombia. https://transitionawayconference.com/home

Jointly hosted with the Netherlands, it was attended by almost 60 countries as well as organizations such as the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative—which is a coalition of 18 countries, civil society organisations, 195 sub-national governments, 101 Nobel Laureates, 3,000 scientists and more than a million individuals. https://www.fossilfueltreaty.org/

The conference signals that the decades-long outrage about the disastrous effects of oil, gas and coal has finally borne fruit. Transition Away from Fossil Fuels actively aims to move us towards a renewable-energy-based future. 

Regarded as a breath of fresh air, the Santa Marta meeting focused on overcoming economic dependence on fossil fuels, transforming energy supply and demand, and advancing international cooperation and climate diplomacy. https://tinyurl.com/transition-away

The debilitating consensus process that enables countries like Saudi Arabia and the accompanying oil lobbyists to sabotage the UN summits—and means that the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change has monumentally failed to steer the world away from a fossil-fuel-induced collision with climate breakdown—was duly eschewed by the Colombia/Netherlands initiative in favour of a system of decision-making that enabled the conference to come up with a clean, just and equitable way forward.

There was no binding agreement on a specific time frame for action, but the attendees agreed to put into play climate frameworks that will bring the world closer to an end of fossil fuel dependency. The biggest immediate achievement at the conference was France’s commitment to implement a national roadmap to phase out its fossil fuels. 

Alongside the official programme, social movements and communities from across Latin America convened a two-day Conference for Fossil Fuel-Free Territories. This parallel process brought together Indigenous peoples, rural communities, Afro-descendant organizations, and environmental defenders to articulate a shared regional position grounded in territorial justice.

The outcome was a Declaration from the Territories, presented at the Peoples’ Summit Natalia Greene, director of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature. The declaration names and confronts the structural drivers of the crisis, including extractivism, fossil capitalism, and geopolitical competition over land and resources. It also highlights the daily reality of “silent wars” in affected territories, marked by pollution, displacement, and violence against defenders.
Rodrigo Estrada, senior climate advisor at Greenpeace International, enunciated the upcoming challenge clearly: “Santa Marta helped spark a feeling of renewed energy, but delegates must now follow through to deliver action, not just words.” The urgency of rapidly transitioning away from fossil fuels was also voiced by the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro: “We are heading towards barbarism. And barbarism is the prelude to, or the very essence of, fascism.”

The conference in Colombia came at a time when oil and gas prices were soaring because of the current escalation of conflict in the Middle East, and it has become abundantly clear that solar power and wind energy allow countries to avoid the politics of a few dangerous and unpredictable politicians and enable them to assert energy independence while lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Selwin Hart, the UN’s envoy to the Santa Marta talks, said, “Renewables offer something fossil fuels never did: stability and sovereignty. There are no embargoes, price shocks or tariffs.”
https://tinyurl.com/colombia-fossils

Another Transition Away from Fossil Fuels conference has already been scheduled to take place in the Pacific island state of Tuvalu in 2027. 

The blocking of the Strait of Hormuz has finally demonstrated to even those least interested in breaking oil and gas dependency the extreme fragility of that same energy reliance for other critical needs besides transportation and heating, such as the manufacture of nitrogen fertilizer. Food is going to cost more and cause even greater hardship for those who can least afford the increases. 

Since fossil fuels are so evidently embedded in our daily lives, and extracting ourselves is deemed by many to be nearly impossible—particularly those addicted to the global north’s fetish of consumerism—is there enough overall momentum to turn away from catastrophic climate breakdown?

The Colombian summit must be celebrated as a bright star, but there are reasons for hope elsewhere.

Large cities like Amsterdam are taking a stand against fossil-fuel-heavy travel and meat consumption by banning their advertising on billboards, metro stations and tram shelters. Gone are the ads for climate-wrecking cruises, burgers, petrol cars and air travel, now replaced by the promotion of cultural events such as concerts and exhibitions.
https://tinyurl.com/ban-ads

Each year the international Goldman Environmental Prize celebrates and tells the stories of the work of six intrepid grassroots environmental activists who through extraordinary efforts have dedicated themselves to the protection and restoration of their local spaces through leading campaigns locally. 
https://www.goldmanprize.org/current-winners/

Canadian initiatives such as Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG) worker cooperative help municipalities, state and provincial governments to assess their country’s climate vulnerabilities and create climate action plans that give solid advice on how to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Advanced models are implemented to adapt to and prevent intensifying climate-charged situations such as wildfires and drought. SSG describes itself as aspiring to “a decarbonized world where thriving people, communities, and ecosystems collaborate through democratic participation to eliminate fossil fuels, regenerate natural systems, and analyze the impacts of choices for lasting change.” https://ssg.coop/

In Québec, Conseil régional de l’environnement de l’Estrie (CREE) is a major force for involving local citizens in the protection of Nature. The impact of CREE’s education programmes is vital if students are to appreciate and internalize a deep sense of connectivity to Nature.

The website explains: “Since 1992, CREE has been dedicated to addressing the climate emergency, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, managing waste materials, and protecting Nature. It offers a range of services to municipalities, schools and businesses, while also leading thematic projects that respond to environmental needs.

“CREE’s mission is to protect and improve the state of the environment to ensure quality of life in the Eastern Townships through collaborative solutions and expert advice to the public and decision-makers.” https://creestrie.ca/a-propos/

Even closer to home, Action Saint-François brings into sharp focus how we can be inspired to protect our waterways. “Action Saint-François strives to bring together people interested in the management, restoration and remediation of waterways, riverbanks and flood plains within the St. Francis River watershed.Action Saint-François also wishes to educate and empower Eastern Townships citizens to better respect the environment through participation in its field activities (watercourse cleanups and planting) and educational activities (Salon de la Nature show, conferences, and workshops).” https://asf-estrie.org/

From global actions to local community initiatives, the tide can turn towards a more democratic and ecologically respected Earth.