APRIL 8, 2025 – As Pacific nations scramble to secure fuel supplies amid the Iran war – with Fiji hiking petrol prices by 20%, Tuvalu sending government workers home and the Marshall Islands declaring a 90-day economic emergency — ministers from across the region are convening in Vanuatu to do something about the fossil fuel dependency at the heart of the crisis.
Ministers and senior officials from Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) will convene in Port Vila, Vanuatu from April 13–15 for the third Pacific Ministerial Dialogue on the Global Just Transition – a landmark gathering that will shape the Pacific’s unified position ahead of the world’s first international conference dedicated to phasing out fossil fuels.
This engagement began in Port Vila in March 2023, following two devastating Category-4 cyclones in Vanuatu. There, PSIDS articulated a collective vision for a Fossil Fuel-Free Pacific and elevated the global call for a managed phase-out of fossil fuels. PSIDS are now returning to Port Vila for this preparatory summit, Port Vila II, ahead of the First International Conference on Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia later this month – a historic milestone they were central in bringing about, and will be crucial in taking forward.
Port Vila II aims to consolidate a unified Pacific stance on fossil fuel phase-out, build momentum for full region-wide support of the Fossil Fuel Treaty proposal and establish a PSIDS Inter-Governmental Taskforce to lead regional engagement in the coming negotiation phase.
Hon. Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change Adaptation, Government of Vanuatu said “The Pacific did not create the fossil fuel crisis, yet we are paying the highest price for it. Our communities are on the frontlines of sea level rise, intensifying cyclones, and the slow erasure of the only homes we have ever known. Port Vila II is about ensuring our voice doesn’t just get heard at Santa Marta—it must shape what happens there. It serves as a powerful reminder of what we have achieved and what we can achieve when we stand up for the survival of our people.”
The Santa Marta Conference represents a defining moment in global climate diplomacy — and one that Australia, as a major fossil fuel exporter and a near neighbour to the Pacific, cannot afford to sit out. While Pacific nations have led efforts to build a multilateral framework for a managed global transition away from fossil fuels, Australia has continued to approve new coal and gas projects; a contradiction that Pacific leaders say is incompatible with the commitments of a genuine partner.
Joseph Sikulu, Pacific Champion for the Fossil Fuel Treaty said “For Pacific Islands, leading on Climate has never been a choice; it has been a matter of survival for us. We are constantly at the forefront pushing for ambition and testing the limits of multilateralism. We were the first to call for a fossil fuel treaty, knowing we need to try everything we can to bring about the transformation we need. Our hope is that we are joined by partners who are ready to take accountability for their actions and help us accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. The Santa Marta Conference is an opportunity for Australia, our big brother nation in the Pacific, to show up for the future of the region and to show us they are ready to lead on climate alongside us.”
With Australia to be president of negotiations at COP31 in 2026, the Santa Marta Conference represents an important moment for the region — and an opportunity for Australia to demonstrate genuine partnership with its Pacific neighbours on the defining issue of our time.
Dr. Tzeporah Berman, Founder and Chair, Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative said “Pacific Island Nations were the first countries to call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty. Even before the current supply constraints and high price of oil due to the war in Iran these countries have understood the threat dependence on fossil fuels poses to their security and to global climate stability. The current conflict has proven that even more so It is an honour for us to support their leadership as they prepare for the first diplomatic conference on fossil fuel phase out in Santa Marta where they and other countries participating in the development of the Fossil Fuel Treaty will be a crucial voice for international cooperation, high ambition and fair timelines and financial mechanisms to support a fair phase out.”
ABOUT THE FOSSIL FUEL TREATY INITIATIVE
The idea of a Fossil Fuel Treaty was born in the Pacific, a region that has long understood that its survival depends on ending the world’s dependence on coal, oil and gas. The movement gained significant momentum in Port Vila in March 2023, following the unprecedented impact of two Category 4 cyclones striking Vanuatu within the same week, when six nations issued a collective call for a global fossil fuel treaty – building on earlier endorsements from Vanuatu and Tuvalu. Today, that movement has grown to 18 countries, more than 150 subnational governments, 4,000 civil society organisations, and over one million individual endorsees worldwide.
Learn more at fossilfueltreaty.org
