Stand.earth at the Santa Marta Conference: Advancing fossil-free zones and financial roadmaps for a just transition

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Santa Marta, Colombia (April 24, 2026) — Stand.earth will participate in the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, hosted by the governments of Colombia and the Netherlands in Santa Marta from April 24 to 29. Bringing together national governments, Indigenous Peoples, civil society, and academics, the Santa Marta Conference marks a pivotal moment in global climate negotiations. 

As countries seek to accelerate the implementation of fossil fuel phase-out commitments, Stand will actively engage in discussions to advance concrete pathways to stop fossil fuel expansion and strengthen international cooperation. Central to this effort is the push to establish fossil-free zones and shift financial flows away from fossil fuels – key steps to protecting critical ecosystems for the planet and enabling a just transition. 

As part of its engagement at the conference, Stand is co-organizing the following event focused on the role of finance in accelerating a just phase-out:

Financial roadmaps towards a just phase-out and a fossil-free Amazon
Date: April 28, 2026 – 12 pm to 3 pm (Colombia time)
Venue: Zuana Hotel, 6-80 Carrera 2
Registration here

The session will explore the financial architecture and reforms needed to deliver a global phase-out of fossil fuels at the necessary speed and scale, emphasizing the role of governments in restructuring public finance, regulating private finance, and upholding human rights, forest protection, and land-use safeguards. It will also highlight the importance of including commitments on public and private finance in a Fossil Fuel Treaty to ensure governments regulate financial flows to fossil fuels.

The event will feature frontline voices resisting oil and gas expansion and examine the accountability of major financiers. It will also spotlight Protecting Our Planet’s Heart: Parliamentarians’ Roadmap for a Fossil-Free Amazon – a PFFF report to which Stand contributed – helping inform outcomes in Santa Marta and beyond.

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Notes to the editor:

Stand.earth experts Martyna Dominiak, Senior Climate Finance Campaigner, and Liz McDowell, Senior Campaigns Director, are available for interviews. 

Media contact: 

Lays Ushirobira, Stand.earth: lays.ushirobira@stand.earth | +34 685 20 05 91