EU Climate Action Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra has called for a global end to new oil and gas drilling, arguing that energy security depends on reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Speaking at the First International Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia, Hoekstra stressed that the clean energy transition is the only viable long-term response to volatility and external pressure.
“As long as we rely on fossil fuels, we are vulnerable to volatility and external pressure,” Hoekstra said. “What is the answer? To double down on affordable, reliable, homegrown clean energy. To move faster towards a clean, electrified energy system. For climate, but also for security, resilience, competitiveness and independence.”
The conference, which brought together 60 countries including major oil producers like Canada, Norway, Brazil, and Nigeria, comes at a time when global demand for oil and natural gas has surged following the US-led conflict with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Despite these pressures, the European Union maintains that the long-term goal of clean power is more necessary than ever.
European Divergence on Energy Strategy
While EU ministers scramble to secure supplies amid soaring energy prices, some member states are considering tapping their fossil fuel reserves. Greece recently issued its first offshore oil and gas exploration license in over four decades, and Italy is revisiting offshore exploration suspended in 2019. Rome and Berlin have also suggested a temporary return to coal to address electricity price spikes.
However, Hoekstra emphasized that such measures are short-sighted. “We need to reduce our fossil fuel dependence for our energy security. We cannot be at the mercy of regimes holding up our resources,” he said, pointing to the vulnerability of relying on external suppliers.
European nations represented in Santa Marta include Denmark, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Spanish Energy and Environment Minister Sara Aagesen called the gathering a “success” that will generate alliances and consensus ahead of COP31 in Turkey. “Fossil fuel dependency makes us incredibly vulnerable,” Aagesen said. “We need to bet on this clean energy agenda. We have our own success story, which has allowed us to be less dependent and more shielded from energy spike prices.”
Rachel Kyte, the UK’s Special Representative for Climate, noted that the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz has forced countries to pivot to clean energy. “We have the experience of our transition to share and the recent experience of driving to energy security with our clean power mission,” Kyte told Euronews.
Scientific and Diplomatic Momentum
Hoekstra called for a doubling of energy efficiency, a tripling of renewables by 2030, and more electrification to prevent vulnerabilities to price and supply shocks. He also criticized the pace of UN COP climate meetings, saying, “We all know that the COP process is unfortunately not always delivering what it should. That means we need to improve that. But at the same time, we also need to ensure that we make the most of these plurilateral initiatives.” He thanked Brazil for tabling the initiative to transition away from fossil fuels at COP30 last November.
Climate researchers at the Santa Marta event presented workshops on the potential impact on public health and jobs in a world no longer reliant on fossil fuels. While no major new initiatives are expected to emerge, the goal is to identify collective actions that would be difficult to achieve individually.
Colombia’s Environment Minister Irene Vélez Torres described the gathering as a “coalition of the willing” intended to bypass gridlock caused by major fossil-fuel producers in UN talks. Notably, the United States, Russia, and China were not invited due to what Torres called “openly extractivist” positions. China, the world’s largest consumer of coal and oil, was barred because its status as the top global emitter would make commitments to phasing out fossil fuels particularly challenging.
“We are opening a new chapter of global political discussion which, naturally, won't solve all the challenges on a single conference,” Torres told reporters. “What matters here is the declaration of what we're willing to do to end fossil fuel dependency.”
For Europe, the message is clear: the path to energy security lies in accelerating the clean energy transition, not in doubling down on fossil fuels. As Italy, the EU nation most exposed to fossil fuel shocks, has urged a united European energy transition, Hoekstra’s stance reinforces the bloc’s commitment to a sustainable and independent energy future.
