BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia’s fiery left-wing President Gustavo Petro is one of the biggest opponents of fossil fuels on the world stage today, with speeches that lump oil and coal with cocaine as his country’s “three poisons.” He’s set a goal of weaning Colombia off those fossil fuels, putting the green energy transition and environmental protection at the center of his agenda. His opposition is long-held, but it’s also practical.
Colombia’s oil reserves are projected to last only about seven years, and without new discoveries, the country will eventually have to find a way forward without the oil and coal that make up more than half its exports. But doing so will require overcoming the same challenges that many smaller nations face with the energy transition: higher borrowing costs that more developed nations face, Environment Minister Susana Muhamad said. Muhamad has been highlighting Colombia’s challenge at in Azerbaijan, where the major goal of this year’s talks known as COP29 is establishing just how much wealthy nations will contribute to the developing world to cope with climate change and transform their energy systems.
At a press conference on the sidelines of the climate talks Saturday, Muhamad said the world “cannot continue to play with the same financial rules that leave developing countries behind.” Muhamad also touted her country’s support for a non-proliferation treaty for fossil fuels. The treaty, modeled on others like a non-n.