Colombia's environment minister has argued that the war in the Middle East underscores the need for a rapid transition to clean energy, ahead of an international summit on fossil fuels. Irene Vélez Torres told The Associated Press on Thursday that instability in global energy markets should accelerate, rather than delay, the shift from oil, gas and coal.
“The war in the Middle East has triggered a global crisis,” she said, adding that the turmoil should push countries to “radicalise the green agenda.” The comments come before a major summit jointly hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands, to be held from 24 to 29 April in Santa Marta, where around 50 countries will discuss moving beyond fossil fuels.
Vélez said the meeting would serve as a “political space” to open debate on phasing out fossil fuels, rather than a forum for binding agreements. “We are not going to demand that countries make commitments,” she said. The summit follows three decades of UN climate talks that have failed to secure widespread agreement on reducing oil, gas and coal use.
Colombia, one of Latin America’s top oil producers and home to about 6% of the Amazon rainforest, faces tension between its economy and climate goals. Under President Gustavo Petro, it has pledged to halt new oil exploration and increased renewable energy sources such as solar and wind from about 1% to 16% of its electricity mix.
The meeting comes amid heightened geopolitical instability, including conflict involving Iran that has disrupted global energy markets and raised concerns over supply through the Strait of Hormuz. The United States under President Donald Trump has stepped back from international climate efforts and focused on expanding oil production, while Saudi Arabia, one of the world’s largest oil exporters, will not attend the summit.
