SANTA MARTA — Colombia and the Netherlands are co-hosting a two-day high-level conference in Santa Marta where more than 50 countries are discussing concrete ways to phase out oil, gas and coal. The Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels conference is examining measures including shifting subsidies from gasoline and diesel to renewable energy and batteries, and identifying new employment opportunities for fossil fuel workers.

Participating governments include some of the world's largest fossil fuel producers, such as Australia, Mexico and Nigeria. The United States, the world's largest oil and gas producer and largest consumer of oil, is not taking part. China, the world's largest consumer of coal, is also not participating.

"Let this conference be the moment when ambition becomes action." Colombia's Environment Minister Irene Vélez Torres said. "Let's make this a turning point in history."

Colombia, a major global producer of coal, oil and gas, has in recent years been diversifying its economy and transitioning away from fossil fuels. The governments of Colombia and the Netherlands announced the Santa Marta gathering in November. It is intended to complement, not replace, U.N. climate COPs by providing a dedicated space to discuss fossil fuels.

Vanuatu, an island nation threatened by rising sea levels and reliant on fossil fuel imports for transportation and electricity, is increasing its number of solar projects and has brought forward its target to electrify its fleet of government vehicles. Many countries feel an increasing urgency to transition their economies away from oil, gas and coal due to current fossil fuel shortages, according to Ralph Regenvanu, the country's minister for climate change. "The decision on EVs was directly stimulated by the crisis." Regenvanu said.

The U.S. State Department said the country would not take part. "Moving away from reliable, affordable, and secure energy to rely on intermittent and costly energy sources is destructive, and the president has been clear that the United States will not participate in the bogus climate agenda." the department said.

Financial services firm Lazard says large solar and wind projects provide more cost-competitive energy than natural gas and coal projects. Renewable energy paired with large batteries or other forms of grid management has proven to be reliable.

At the 2023 U.N. climate conference in Dubai, countries agreed to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems. At the U.N. conference in Brazil in November, roughly 80 countries pushed for a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels but the conference ended without one.