Julia Simon

I know, right?

Andres was showing me on his phone a list of about 20 countries that plan to announce something called the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, or the Santa Marta Conference for short.

What is the Santa Marta Conference?

Well, like we said before, some of those countries that really want this roadmap away from fossil fuels, they're, again, frustrated with those consensus rules of COP.

Everybody has to agree.

These countries want to take action urgently.

And just like if you're doing a group project, Emily, and there are some people who are really into it and some people who are not so much.

These countries, some call them the high ambition countries.

They're like, we want our own space.

We want our own conference to really tackle the phase out of fossil fuels ASAP.

Here's Andres.

So this conference in April 2026 that Andres is helping to organize, that will be the first global conference for the phase-out of fossil fuels.

It's in Santa Marta, Colombia, hence the name.

And that's a big deal.

Colombia is an oil, gas, and coal producer.

Here's Irene Velez Torres, Colombia's environment minister.

I mean, it's an important question.

And in the Paris Agreement, countries did agree to limit warming and cut their emissions.

But the thing about the Paris Agreement, Emily, is that it doesn't specify the specific steps countries will take.

Here's Nikki Rice.