EarthBeat Weekly: Hope for a fossil-free future emerges in Colombia

Hope for a fossil-free future emerges as 50+ countries meet in Colombia   EarthBeat Weekly Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change May 1, 2026   Stientje van Veldhoven, minister of Climate Policy and Green Growth of the Netherlands, right, embraces Colombia's Environmental Minister Irene Vélez Torres during a conference aimed at transitioning away from fossil fuels, on April 28, 2026, in Santa Marta, Colombia. (AP/Ivan Valencia) As wars and international conflicts have thrown global oil markets into historically turbulent waters, 57 countries descended this week upon the Caribbean coastal city of Santa Marta, Colombia, to talk about how to move the world from its dependency on fossil fuels. The first Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels took place April 24-29, with countries meeting the last two days for high-level meetings. Among those invited was the Holy See, who sent two representatives as observers.  Present in adjacent meetings and discussions around Santa Marta — a historical coal port for Colombia, which co-hosted the conference with the Netherlands — were officials with two dozen Catholic organizations. What they saw and heard had them feeling quite hopeful, as I reported this week at EarthBeat.  "The mood is amazing," Lisa Sullivan, senior program officer on integral ecology for the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, told me during the conference's early days. "There's a tremendous amount of hope." That sense of optimism that I heard from several Catholics was a contrast to the tenor that has defined in recent years the United Nations climate change conferences, where discussions like those held in Santa Marta get quickly tied down in debates about whether to transition from fossil fuels, rather than how to do it. U.N. rules that require consensus also mean that any single nation can quickly halt a proposal.  The countries gathered in Colombia represented what organizers termed a "coalition of the willing," all of which have expressed a desire to move from coal, oil and gas to renewable energy sources. (Those opposed, like the U.S. and China, were not asked to attend.) Together, they represented one-fifth of global fossil fuel production — among them, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Nigeria and the United Kingdom — so it wasn't just countries with little economic stakes at risk. Organizers made clear the conference was a first step toward a first formal conversation and that any outcomes would be limited to a summary report, a new scientific panel and plans to convene again next year. While the topic of a proposed international treaty to phase out fossil fuels was a subject, the conference was not expected to serve as a negotiating space for such a document.  Still, the fact that governments met to actively discuss strategies to responsibly, yet rapidly, shift the world economy from fossil fuels was a strong sign of optimism worth acknowledging, Catholic officials told me.  "The Santa Marta Conference is a moral turning point," Yeb Saño, board chair of the Laudato Si' Movement, said in a statement. "As people of faith, we cannot remain neutral while the continued expansion of fossil fuels deepens the suffering of the poor, harms vulnerable communities, and endangers our common home. This is the moment to turn our faith into action, to stand with those most affected, and to help build a future rooted in justice, peace, and care for creation." Watch for more coverage of the Santa Marta conference next week at EarthBeat and National Catholic Reporter. Read more: An end to the fossil fuel era? Catholic groups hopeful as nations meet in Colombia What else is new on EarthBeat:   Indigenous coalition continues challenge to mining project on religious liberty grounds by Kate Scanlon, OSV News An Indigenous coalition filed an updated lawsuit in federal district court in Phoenix on April 22, their latest attempt to block a land transfer including their sacred site at Oak Flat, Arizona, and protect the site from destruction by a copper mining giant. Read more here »   Catholic maritime ministries urge prayer for seafarers trapped amid Hormuz blockade by Gina Christian, OSV News As the U.S. and Iran face off over the Strait of Hormuz, Catholic maritime ministry leaders are calling for prayer and support for the thousands of souls trapped at sea amid the war. Read more here »   In Indonesia, reporter finds nuns' ministries meeting climate, poverty challenges by Chris Herlinger While reporting in Indonesia, international correspondent Chris Herlinger finds sisters responding to natural disasters, poverty and women's issues, all on one small island. Read more here »   4 asteroids just got named for Pope Leo XIII, Vatican astronomers by Gina Christian, OSV News The Vatican Observatory announced in an April 29 press release that an asteroid has been named in honor of Pope Leo XIII, who formally reestablished the observatory in 1891. Read more here »   To garden is to participate in God's ongoing creation by Pierre Eau Claire If you've never experienced the mystery of a resurrection, buy a package of seeds and plant them in some fertile soil.  Read more here »   2 NCR writers win Religion News Association awards by Jeromiah Taylor NCR staff reporter Camillo Barone and  Brian Roewe, NCR's environment correspondent honored by professional journalism organization.  Read more here » What's happening in other climate news:   Carbon dioxide pollution: the invisible force making food less nutritious —Naema Ahmed and Sarah Kaplan for the Washington Post How the Trump administration ended independent science at the E.P.A. —Lisa Friedman for The New York Times 'The damage is done': global oil crisis has changed fossil fuel industry for ever, IEA chief says —Fiona Harvey for the Guardian House OKs farm bill after axing protections for pesticide makers —Marc Heller for E&E News The Trump administration tried to stop the national EV charging program. It has kept rolling along anyway. —Dan Gearino for Inside Climate News A barge carrying Timmy the humpback whale journeys to the North Sea —Elaine Carroll for the Associated Press Ohio lawmakers want to replace all lead service lines, but it could cost billions —Megan Henry for Ohio Capital Journal Michigan wins key legal battle over Line 5 pipeline —Vivian La for Grist Final Beat: Today is the start of May, and that means it's graduation season.  At St. Mary's College, in South Bend, Indiana, the commencement speech to the class of 2026 on May 16 will be delivered by Anne Thompson, the chief environmental affairs correspondent for NBC News. Thompson, too, has led much of the network's coverage of the Catholic Church.  St. Mary's will also present an honorary degree to Jennifer Holmgren, a chemist who has worked on using carbon emissions to create sustainable products and on developing alternative jet fuels, according to the student newspaper, The Observer.  Do you know of other Catholic colleges that have an environmental tie as part of their graduation ceremonies? Let me know by dropping me a note at broewe@ncronline.org.  As always, thanks for reading EarthBeat.   Brian Roewe Environment Correspondent National Catholic Reporter broewe@ncronline.org     Featured Advertisers   Explore spirituality and social justice at Xavier University. Graduate theology degrees and certificates. Online options. Tuition discounts available.   Advertisement