Santa Marta's fossil fuel transition amid global instability demands systemic reform
Original framing: “LIVE on April 9 | Santa Marta: fossil fuel transition in an unstable world” — Climate Home News
Marginalized groups in Santa Marta, including informal settlers and Afro-Colombian populations, are disproportionately affected by both fossil fuel extraction and climate change. Their voices are essential in shaping equitable energy policies.
Santa Marta's fossil fuel transition is not just a technical challenge, but a deeply political and cultural process shaped by historical patterns of extraction and marginalization.
Integrating Indigenous and Afro-Colombian knowledge, decentralizing energy systems, and restructuring international debt are essential steps toward a just transition. Drawing from cross-cultural examples in the Global South, Santa Marta can model a transition that is both ecologically sustainable and socially inclusive. This requires a systemic shift in how energy policy is framed — from a top-down 'transition' to a bottom-up 'reconnection' with land, community, and future generations.