This week, the Netherlands, together with Colombia, is organising an important international climate summit in Santa Marta, Colombia. For the first time, the phasing out of fossil fuels is the central focus, a topic now even more prominent due to the war in the Middle East. Twelve climate researchers affiliated with the University of Amsterdam (UvA) are presenting a policy brief for a just and feasible fossil fuel phase-out at this summit. ‘This is not a utopia, but an international obligation and economically and practically feasible.’

The authors – legal experts, economists, Earth system justice scholars, and natural scientists – are all affiliated with the UvA climate institute SEVEN. They emphasise that the legal basis for the phase-out is stronger than ever since the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion in 2025: ‘The Court explicitly stated that permitting the production and consumption of fossil fuels, granting exploitation licenses, and providing subsidies can lead to state liability. Phasing out is therefore not a political choice but a legal obligation – and anyone who fails to comply with that obligation can be held responsible.’

During the Santa Marta conference, the researchers will present the policy advisory ‘A Fair Fossil Fuel Phase-Out Is Feasible’, offering six integrated policy packages suitable for adoption or endorsement.

André Nollkaemper, scientific director of SEVEN: ‘Santa Marta offers a unique opportunity. For the first time, a coalition of willing states is meeting specifically to actually set the phase-out of fossil fuels in motion. This is exactly the kind of issue for which SEVEN was established. With this policy document, we want to help steer the phase-out process.’

Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, lead author of the SEVEN policy advisory: ‘In our advice, we bring together three discussions that are often conducted separately. International law forms the legal backbone; justice for the Earth system helps determine what fairness requires of us within the planet’s boundaries; and economic and technological evidence shows that a controlled transition can yield major collateral benefits, including cleaner air, greater energy security, fiscal resilience, decent jobs, and lower risks of stranded assets and lawsuits.’

Six packages for a fair and workable transition

Both oil, coal and gas producing and consuming countries have been invited to participate in the conference. The policy advice helps move the discussion from principle to implementation and shows that the question is not whether a fair phase-out of fossil fuels is necessary, but rather how it can be phased, differentiated and financed.

To this end, the authors propose integrated policy packages that jointly address the usual obstacles, which are often tackled separately: a controlled phase-out of production; tax and subsidy reform; rapid rollout of clean energy and grids; diversification strategies for fossil-fuel-dependent countries and regions; measures regarding labour and social protection; international financing and cooperation; and procedural safeguards against undue influence.

Expectations for the results

The authors hope that the climate summit will lead to the following concrete guidelines:

1. No new expansion of fossil fuel extraction and a controlled phase-out of existing production;
2. Demand-side measures that protect access to energy and its affordability;
3. Reallocation of fossil fuel subsidies and government funding to clean energy and social protection;
4. Diversification and debt-sensitive transition financing for countries and regions dependent on fossil fuels
5. Participation and protection for workers, indigenous peoples, and affected communities.

About the policy advice

The policy advice 'A Fair Fossil Fuel Phase-Out Is Feasible: International Law, Earth-System Justice, and Practical Pathways for a Managed Global Transition' was written by Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh (lead author), Kanad Bagchi, Matteo Fermeglia, Joyeeta Gupta, Augusto Heras, Arno Kourula, Johanna Lorenzo, André Nollkaemper, Rick van der Ploeg, Chris Slootweg, Stephanie Triefus and Ingo Venzke. In the advice, they bring together their expertise in the areas of international law, Earth-system justice, economics and natural sciences.