Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels an Important Step in Energy Transition
WASHINGTON — The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels will begin today in Colombia and the Netherlands, bringing together key stakeholders to identify and advance a transition away from fossil fuels. The event intends to support practical actions by governments to phase out fossil fuels. In response, David Arkush, director of Public Citizen’s Climate Program, issued the following statement:
“While Trump continues his corrupt quid pro quo deals with Big Oil, civil society will begin gathering today in Santa Marta, Colombia, to chart a path forward on climate and human rights. Sixty nations are leading the transition away from fossil fuels—including major fossil fuel producers like Norway, Brazil, Canada, and Angola—while the U.S. entrenches us deeper in the climate crisis by doubling down on oil, gas, and coal
“Public Citizen stands in solidarity with the Santa Marta delegates and stands ready to assist in enabling a full, fair, and equitable transition.
“The rest of the world is showing leadership and leaving the U.S. behind. This is an invitation to state and city officials, businesses, and individuals to use the power they have to accelerate the transition and to be in solidarity with people across the world.”
Melinda St. Louis, director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch program, is on the ground in Santa Marta, contributing to the Conference’s workstream dedicated to unwinding the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system included in trade and investment treaties that undermines countries’ climate sovereignty and creates an unacceptable obstacle to the transition away from fossil fuels. She issued the following statement:
“While it is tragic that the United States government is failing to meet this critical moment for climate action, we are encouraged that the rest of the world has recognized that it’s high time to take bold action to remove the arcane ISDS extra-legal instrument buried in trade and investment treaties that has been used as a cudgel by fossil fuel and extractive industries to stymie government actions that might reduce their profits.
“Public Citizen joined 340 organizations from around the globe in welcoming the recognition by the Santa Marta delegates that ISDS poses risks to climate action and urging them to begin building a coalition of governments committed to freeing themselves from ISDS.
“The Colombian government, hosting the Conference, recently announced its intention to renounce its treaties that include ISDS as part of the full package of needed action to usher in a clean energy transition. We stand ready to support governments here in Santa Marta and beyond in creating an ‘ISDS Free Alliance’.”
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