The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels (TAFF), held April 24–29, 2026, in Santa Marta, Colombia, is a pioneering, solutions-focused forum co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands. It serves as a “safe harbour” for nations aiming to accelerate a just, orderly, and equitable phase-out of fossil fuels outside traditional UNFCCC negotiations.
The International Institute for Sustainable Development has prepared a guide for policy-makers working on roadmaps and plans for the transition away from fossil fuels.
Progressing the Transition Away From Fossil Fuels
This paper focuses on the practical question of how to design effective roadmaps for transitioning away from fossil fuels—at both global and national levels. Its primary contribution is a structured review of selected case studies of existing initiatives, alliances, and national processes.
The paper is available here.
The case studies are available here.
Policy Recommendations
- TAFF roadmaps must be anchored in clear principles to ensure credibility and fairness. Case studies show that effective transition planning depends on alignment with the best available science, application of the CBDR-RC principle, and national ownership combined with international coordination.
- Case studies highlight the need for structured producer–consumer coordination, reform of global finance and credit systems, scaled financial and technical support, supply chain cooperation, policy knowledge sharing, coordinated political signals, and common standards.
- National TAFF roadmaps should connect and operationalize existing plans and integrate multiple elements, including energy access, fossil fuel production and consumption pathways, fossil fuel subsidy reform, just transition and economic diversification, and finance.
- Designing effective TAFF roadmaps requires learning from practice and improving international process design. Successful coordination efforts need to have clear scopes and modalities, complement rather than duplicate other processes, and incorporate expert and multistakeholder input.
The global transition away from fossil fuels (TAFF) has entered an implementation phase. While clean energy deployment continues to accelerate and investment increasingly flows toward renewables, electrification, and clean technologies, fossil fuel production and consumption plans remain misaligned with climate science and expose countries to growing geopolitical, economic, and fiscal risks.
Political appetite for structured cooperation is evident. More than 80 countries endorsed the call for a global roadmap on transitioning away from fossil fuels at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30), and 2026 presents multiple diplomatic and technical processes that can help translate commitment into delivery. The central challenge is no longer simply setting ambition, but ensuring coherence, coordination, and implementation across national plans, international coalitions, and sectoral initiatives.
This paper focuses on the practical question of how to design effective roadmaps for transitioning away from fossil fuels—at both global and national levels. Its primary contribution is a structured review of selected case studies of existing initiatives, alliances, and national processes. These examples provide concrete lessons on what works, where gaps remain, and how principles such as scientific alignment, justice, national ownership, and coordinated international support can be operationalized. A detailed description of each case study can be found in the accompanying paper, Progressing the Transition Away From Fossil Fuels: Lessons from case studies.
Drawing from these case studies, the report identifies core principles, essential planning elements, and international coordination needs that should underpin TAFF roadmaps. It aims to inform ongoing processes in 2026—including the Brazilian COP 30 Presidency’s global roadmap initiative—and beyond, and to support countries in developing coherent, whole-economy national TAFF roadmaps that are just, orderly, and aligned with science.
External link
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 