Fossil fuel phase-out: how are governments doing?

The world has been repeatedly shaken by fossil fuel price spikes, supply disruptions, and geopolitical crises that show how dangerous fossil fuel dependence has become for both the climate and energy security. This current moment - linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz - should be seen as a point of strategic clarity. The repeated exposure to fossil fuel shocks is not incidental – it is a direct consequence of structural dependence.

At COP28, governments agreed through the first Global Stocktake (GST1) decision to transition away from fossil fuels and to pursue tripling global renewable energy capacity and doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030. These measures, together with cutting methane emissions from the energy sector, would put the world on a path to phase out fossil fuels and substantially reduce projected warming. The Climate Action Tracker analysis shows these key near-term actions could bring 21st‑century warming below 2°C. Yet implementation is lagging: renewables deployment is still too slow, energy efficiency gains are too modest, and fossil fuel production and infrastructure expansion continue largely unabated.

The task now is to translate these GST1 goals into real policies, investment decisions and implementation on the ground. The first International Conference on Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels (TAFF) in Santa Marta, Colombia, will test whether governments can move from high‑level commitments to concrete national roadmaps.

This blog looks at how a selection of TAFF participants are progressing in their transition away from fossil fuels, and what action they need to take to align with 1.5°C compatible power sector pathways.