Another World Is Possible in Another Part of the World
by Domenico Vito
While global attention remains fixed on burning ships, geopolitical tensions, and the instability surrounding the Strait of Hormuz — increasingly symbolic of the fragility of the fossil fuel economy — another gathering took place almost unnoticed on the shores of a different sea. In Santa Marta, the Colombian Caribbean city once marked by the age of pirates, a conference unfolded that may only be fully understood years from now.
From May 25 to 28, Santa Marta hosted the first international conference dedicated specifically to transitioning away from fossil fuels. Co-chaired by Colombia and the Netherlands, the summit brought together representatives from 57 countries, academics, experts, trade unions, and civil society organizations to seriously discuss how the world can move beyond its dependence on oil, gas, and coal.
The timing could not have been more significant. Conflicts in the Middle East, volatile energy prices, geopolitical blackmail linked to hydrocarbons, and the growing global crisis of plastic pollution all demonstrate that the fossil fuel economy is no longer capable of guaranteeing stability, prosperity, or security. Several participating countries — including Colombia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands — openly acknowledged this reality during the conference.
But Santa Marta represented something deeper than another diplomatic summit. It became a symbol of renewed political imagination and collective energy emerging from Latin America. At a time when multilateralism often appears paralyzed by geopolitical rivalries and lobbying pressures, Santa Marta showed that another path is still possible — and that this path can emerge from regions historically marginalized in global governance.
Latin America gave new life to the climate movement in Santa Marta. The atmosphere of the conference was marked not only by negotiations, but by participation, creativity, and social mobilization. The summit was structured to include different sectors of society in a truly inclusive process. Interministerial meetings opened the conference, followed by the Academic Chapter, which brought together more than 400 researchers and experts from around the world. This led to the launch of a new scientific expert group aimed at supporting countries in developing concrete transition plans away from fossil fuels.
Equally important was the People’s Pre-Summit, organized by the Climate Action Network, the Fossil Fuel Treaty initiative, and global trade union movements. Hosted at the University of Magdalena, the event became a vibrant space filled with workshops, assemblies, cultural activities, and grassroots discussions. Environmental activists, Indigenous representatives, youth organizations, feminist groups, and trade unions demonstrated the extraordinary vitality of climate activism across South America.
The energy emerging from Santa Marta was not abstract optimism; it was political and social momentum. Both the Academic Chapter and the People’s Summit produced concrete political documents, including the People’s Declaration and the trade union platform “Just Transition and Energy Democracy.” These texts outlined participatory roadmaps for a fossil-free future grounded in justice, inclusion, and democratic governance.
These proposals were then brought into the High-Level Segment of the conference, where ministers and government representatives began discussing actual strategies for transitioning away from fossil fuels. Italy was represented by Special Climate Envoy Francesco Corvaro, who emphasized the need for new multilateral spaces capable of revitalizing international cooperation while also engaging the major global powers.
What made Santa Marta truly exceptional was the sense that climate diplomacy could once again inspire hope. Observers jokingly described it as “finally, a climate conference that works.” Although the process exists outside the formal UNFCCC framework and does not seek to compete with it, many participants recognized its potential to strengthen official climate negotiations by restoring trust, participation, and ambition.
In a world where global governance is increasingly fragmented, Santa Marta offered something rare: a safe political and human space where governments, scientists, workers, and civil society could collectively imagine a future beyond fossil fuels without becoming trapped by polarization and geopolitical confrontation. It became a breath of fresh air for international climate politics.
The next conference will take place in Tuvalu, co-hosted with Ireland. If Santa Marta was the spark, future editions may become the foundation of a new generation of climate diplomacy — one capable of reconnecting global negotiations with people, territories, and social movements.
Latin America reminded the world in Santa Marta that the climate transition is not only a technological or economic challenge. It is also a cultural, democratic, and human project. And perhaps, in another part of the world, another world is already beginning to emerge.
CHECK OUT THE VLOG REPORTS of Osservatorio Parigi on Santa Marta’s Conference (Italian)
Reference
https://www.tuedglobal.org/bulletins/trade-unions-santa-marta
https://farn.org.ar/santa-marta-transicion-socioecologica-justa/
Santa Marta: Key outcomes from first summit on ‘transitioning away’ from fossil fuels
