‘Historic breakthrough’: Colombia climate talks end with hopes raised for fossil fuel phaseout

Governments have been asked to develop national “roadmaps” setting out how they will end the production and use of fossil fuels, after a landmark climate meeting involving nearly 60 countries. The voluntary plans will form the bedrock of a new initiative to wean the world off coal, oil and gas , the focus of two days of intensive talks in Colombia this week. The approach marks a departure from the annual UN climate negotiations, which have run for more than three decades even as greenhouse gas emissions have continued to rise. Most of the world’s biggest emitters are absent from the group of 59 signatories, though other countries are being invited to join. Irene Vélez Torres, Colombia’s environment minister and chair of the talks, said: “We decided not to resign ourselves to an economy built on the destruction of life. We decided that the transition away from fossil fuels could no longer remain a slogan but must become a concrete, political and collective endeavour. Joseph Sikulu, an activist from Tuvalu, talks to reporters. A second conference will take place early next year on the Pacific island. Photograph: Iván Valencia/AP “When people look back on us from the future, they will not remember only this conference. …