Ireland Attends Santa Marta Conference Amid Fuel Crisis, Urges Fossil Fuel Phase-Out

Ireland is experiencing widespread protests due to a fuel crisis, mirroring global economic turmoil caused by oil transport blockades and spiking prices. This crisis highlights the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels.

Ireland, along with over 50 countries, is attending the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia. Co-chaired by Colombia and the Netherlands, this conference aims to establish a concrete agreement for phasing out fossil fuels, building on the COP28 consensus that burning coal, oil, and gas must be addressed. This gathering excludes climate deniers and fossil fuel companies focused solely on profit.

Ireland imports over 70% of its energy, primarily oil and gas, making it highly dependent. In contrast, Denmark, after its 1973 oil shock, developed the world's first wind industry, now powering 60% of its electricity. Ireland must follow suit by addressing structural energy dependency and accelerating renewable transitions.

Globally, climate change disproportionately affects women and girls, with the UN warning up to 158 million more could face poverty by 2050. Meanwhile, fossil fuel companies like BP and Shell report «exceptional» profits. Ireland must leverage its moral and political standing at Santa Marta to advocate for a UN Debt Convention, including automatic debt cancellation for countries hit by extreme weather, and scale up grant-based public finance for cleaner economies. Ireland also needs to endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and address its role as a fossil fuel finance hub, with Irish-based subsidiaries holding €31.76 billion in fossil fuel investments in 2024, contributing to emissions exceeding the country's total.