How to Craft a National Plan for Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels: Lessons From the Santa Marta Summit

Introduction

In late April 2026, 57 countries gathered in Santa Marta, Colombia, for a first-of-its-kind summit focused on practical steps to move away from coal, oil and gas. The meeting, co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands, produced a clear blueprint: create national roadmaps, deploy new tools to tackle subsidies and carbon-intensive trade, and back decisions with rapid scientific advice. This How-To guide distills those insights into a step-by-step process for any government, organisation or coalition that wants to follow a similar path. Whether you are a policymaker, a business leader or an activist, these steps will help you design and execute a credible transition away from fossil fuels.

Note: Throughout this guide, you will find clickable internal links that take you directly to the relevant sections.

What You Need

Before you begin, assemble these essential elements:

• Political will and multi-stakeholder buy-in – commitment from at least the energy, finance and environment ministries, plus support from industry, labour and civil society.
• A dedicated secretariat – a small team (or a lead ministry) to organise the process, gather data and facilitate dialogue.
• Economic and emissions data – up-to-date figures on your country’s energy mix, fossil-fuel subsidies, trade flows of carbon-intensive goods, and greenhouse-gas inventories.
• Scientific advisory capacity – access to climate scientists, energy modellers and social scientists who can provide rapid, policy-relevant analysis.
• Co-hosts or partners – at least one other country or influential organisation to share ownership and broaden credibility.
• A meeting venue – somewhere that encourages open, informal conversations (small rooms, not large plenaries).
• Finance for participation – travel and accommodation support to ensure low-income countries and marginalised communities are represented.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Convene a First-of-Its-Kind Summit With a Refreshing Format

The Santa Marta summit succeeded because it broke away from traditional negotiating rooms. Instead of large, formal plenaries, co-hosts Colombia and the Netherlands placed ministers, envoys and experts together in small meeting rooms. This allowed “open and frank conversations about the barriers they face”, as participants described it. To replicate this:

• Invite a representative mix of countries (Santa Marta had 57 nations, covering one-third of the global economy).
• Limit the number of official statements and allocate at least half the agenda to facilitated, off-the-record discussions.
• Start with a “science pre-conference” – 400 academics gathered before the Santa Marta talks to brief participants on the latest evidence.
• End with a clear deliverable: a communiqué that commits each country to develop a national roadmap away from fossil fuels.

Step 2: Launch a Rapid-Response Science Panel

One of the most innovative outcomes of the summit was a new “science panel”. Its purpose: to provide quick, actionable analysis to nations wanting to accelerate their transition. The panel backed a key report advising countries to “halt all new fossil-fuel expansion”. To set up your own:

1. Recruit a core group of 10–20 respected academics from diverse disciplines (climate, energy economics, social science, law).
2. Establish a simple mechanism for governments to request a briefing – for example, a shared online form or a dedicated email address.
3. Commit to delivering a written analysis within two weeks of a request. (Santa Marta’s panel described this as “rapid turnaround”.)
4. Publish the briefings publicly to build trust and allow non-government actors to use the evidence.

Step 3: Develop National Roadmaps Away From Fossil Fuels

The core outcome of the summit was each country’s agreement to produce a national “roadmap” for transitioning away from coal, oil and gas. These roadmaps are not just glossy documents; they need to be credible, sector-specific and time-bound. Follow this structure:

• Baseline assessment: Map all fossil-fuel infrastructure (power plants, mines, pipelines, refineries) and their current economic contribution.
• Phase-down targets: Set interim milestones (e.g., no new coal after 2030, reduce oil use by 40% by 2040).
• Clean-energy pathway: Detail how renewables, efficiency and electrification will fill the gap, with investment plans and grid upgrades.
• Just transition provisions: Include retraining, social safety nets and regional development plans for affected workers and communities.
• Governance and review: Assign a responsible body and schedule a progress review every two years.

Step 4: Create Tools to Address Subsidies and Carbon-Intensive Trade

Summit participants recognised that fossil-fuel subsidies and trade in carbon-heavy goods undermine transition efforts. Santa Marta introduced new “tools” to tackle these. You can adopt or adapt them:

• Subsidy tracking and reform: Publish an annual public inventory of all direct and indirect subsidies to fossil fuels. Set a phase-out timeline – ideally 5–10 years.
• Carbon-border adjustment: Design a mechanism that applies a price to imported goods based on their embedded carbon. Use a simple formula: carbon content × domestic carbon price, with deductions for carbon costs already paid in the exporting country.
• Green procurement policies: Mandate that all government contracts favour low-carbon products and services, creating market demand for clean alternatives.

Step 5: Implement, Monitor and Scale Up

A roadmap is worthless without execution. The summit’s design – which produced immediate next steps – offers a model:

1. Assign a national transition task force with representatives from every relevant ministry and stakeholder group.
2. Use the science panel’s rapid analysis to fill data gaps and adjust timelines as technology or policy changes.
3. Report annually on progress – both to the public and to international partners. Santa Marta countries agreed to share updates at the next UN climate conference (COP28).
4. Expand the coalition: aim to add more countries every two years. The summit’s “one-third of the world’s economy” presence shows the power of critical mass.

Tips for Success

• Keep the format “refreshing.” Avoid endless prepared statements. Use small, facilitated groups where people can speak honestly without a microphone. That is what participants from Santa Marta repeatedly praised.
• Don’t wait for perfect data. The science panel was designed to provide rapid analysis, not perfect reports. Actionable information is better than no information.
• Include the “incarcerated” and other marginalised groups. Climate justice must extend to everyone. As one Santa Marta paper noted, “mass incarceration can be viewed as a climate justice issue” because incarcerated people are at higher risk from heatwaves and other climate impacts. Ensure your transition process includes representatives from vulnerable populations.
• Watch out for geopolitical saboteurs. The week of the summit saw the UAE quit OPEC and tensions at the IMO over gas investments. Expect vested interests to push back – have a communications strategy ready.
• Celebrate small wins. The 1.8% expected increase in global coal output should not be allowed to derail the narrative. Emphasise that clean energy installations in the US are hitting records despite political headwinds, and that tropical forest loss slowed last year thanks to Brazil’s efforts. Progress is happening.
• Use every available lever. From carbon border adjustments to green procurement, the toolbox is growing. Santa Marta showed that practical, national-level action is possible – even without global consensus.

By following these five steps and heeding the tips above, you can chart your own path away from fossil fuels – just as the 57 countries in Santa Marta began to do. The journey will be challenging, but the blueprint is now public and ready to adapt.