Date: Friday 24th – Saturday, 25th April
Location: Universidad del Magdalena, Santa Marta, Colombia
More information: Science Pre-Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels
Find the Conference Program here!
Ahead of the First International Conference on the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, hosted by the governments of Colombia and the Netherlands, Climate Strategies was proud to have co-hosted the academic pre-conference: the Global Science & Policy Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels. Serving as the academic chapter to the political conference, the event brought together researchers, policymakers, civil society and other stakeholders to advance policy-relevant research on both the demand- and supply-side transition away from fossil fuels.
The academic chapter, synthesising 12 key insights from the Science & Policy Conference, can be found here: Academic chapter: Santa Marta Action Repertoire Summary.
As part of the pre-conference, Climate Strategies, together with Universidad del Magdalena, led the workstream on Just Transitions and Economic Diversification, alongside supporting organisations including University of Sussex, SEI – Stockholm Environment Institute, TRAJECTS & Europa-Universität Flensburg.
The workstream brought together diverse perspectives from academia, policy, government, labour and trade unions, civil society, and the finance sector for an inclusive and balanced discussion on the topic. Sessions explored policy approaches, governance frameworks, and practical case studies related to economic diversification and just transition strategies. Discussions also examined the role of labour conversion and retraining, South-South and regional cooperation, modelling approaches, international tax cooperation, as well as debt and transition finance mechanisms in supporting transition pathways.
Our sessions spotlighted speakers from all over the world, including our members: Jesse Burton Oluwasola Omoju, Tatiana Lanshina, and Nicolas Lippolis as well as other fantastic contributors: Diana Carolina Murillo Martín, Elisa Arond, Giulia Sigorelli, Lukas Slothuus, Haley St. Dennis, Andrea Carolina Cardoso Diaz, Pao-Yu Oei, Elodie Salle, Zoe Brent, Sergio Chaparro, Shivangi Seth, Amiera Sawas, Carmen Meza, and Dr. Veronica Korber Gonçalves.
Looking ahead, the workstream has put forward seven actionable recommendations centred on advancing just transitions and economic diversification. These include strengthening social dialogue and worker-centred planning, improving access to modelling and analytical tools, better connecting international support with national implementation, and embedding justice considerations within finance and governance frameworks. Together, these recommendations aim to help translate high-level commitments into credible and effective transition strategies.