ANTALYA (The Thursday Times) — A coalition of 57 countries working to turn pledges to move away from coal, oil, and gas into national policy will carry on without Colombia, the country that launched it, as it prepares to present new national plans at the COP31 climate summit in Antalya.
The group was founded in April in the Colombian city of Santa Marta. It is due to publish a report on members’ progress this week, including additional national energy-transition plans. Ireland and the Pacific state of Tuvalu will take over its leadership from Colombia and the Netherlands, and a second international conference is planned for July 2027. Ireland’s Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment confirmed that Colombia had left and said it was preparing a programme of events with Tuvalu.
Why Colombia left
Bogotá’s exit followed the arrival in office of President Abelardo de la Espriella, who campaigned on strengthening the oil and gas industry and resuming exploration. His predecessor, Gustavo Petro, had made moving away from fossil fuels a priority and stopped signing new oil and gas exploration contracts.
A voluntary road map
Nearly 200 countries agreed at the COP28 summit in Dubai in 2023 to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, but the deal carried no binding timetable. Delegates in Antalya are now discussing whether to endorse a global road map prepared by Brazil’s COP30 presidency last year.
Natalie Jones, an adviser at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, said 23 countries have already announced national or regional road maps or plans to develop them. Joeri Rogelj, a professor at Imperial College London, noted that only a few states have published such documents so far, and said the voluntary nature of the commitments makes clear deadlines and practical solutions essential.
