A group of 57 ambitious countries launched a process seeking to end fossil fuels’ grip on economies while promoting a just transition. The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels (TAFF 1) held solutions-oriented discussions on overcoming the economics of fossil fuel dependence, transforming supply and demand, and advancing international cooperation within and beyond global climate governance.
The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary report of the meeting notes that while there was no call to merge this initiative into the UNFCCC, the relationship between TAFF and the international climate process loomed large. Some highlighted areas of overlap. Others suggested ways to provide “inputs” to the UNFCCC through the Global Stocktake. Although prior to the event, organizers had underscored that the meeting would not be a negotiation space for a new fossil fuel treaty, some states and civil society and Indigenous leaders believe this process could start talks for such an agreement, according to ENB.
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Among the TAFF 1 outcomes are:
- A new science-policy panel – the Global Energy Transition Panel – led by scientists;
- Three workstreams on: roadmaps for the transition, supported by the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Partnership and Global Energy Transition Panel; macroeconomic dependencies and financial architecture, supported by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the Centre for Economic Policy and Research (CEPR); and fossil fuel-free trade systems, supported by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); and
- The decision to hold a second TAFF conference, to be co-hosted by Tuvalu and Ireland in Tuvalu in 2027.
According to the ENB analysis of the meeting, TAFF also “created what some called ‘a coalition of coalitions’ in the form of a steering committee.” This committee will include countries that lead existing coalitions – such as the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), the Clean Energy Transition Partnership, and the Coalition on Phasing Out Fossil Fuel Incentives Including Subsidies (COFFIS) – as well as the incoming and outgoing Conference Co-Chairs.
The Conference co-hosts, Colombia and the Netherlands, will produce a co-hosts’ takeaway summary and a full conference report that reflects the broader range of inputs.
The TAFF 1 Conference convened in Santa Marta, Colombia, from 24-29 April 2026. Delegates from 57 countries attended a two-day high-level segment from 28-29 April, including 27 countries represented at the level of ministers, deputy ministers, or ambassadors. Around 1,500 representatives of civil society were also in attendance. [ENB Coverage of First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels]