Colombia's New President Gustavo Petro Pledges To Keep Fossil Fuels in the Ground

Colombia has elected its first left-wing president, setting the Latin American nation on a path to wind down its fossil fuel production. From a report: Leftist Gustavo Petro was voted in Sunday night alongside Goldman prize-winning environmental campaigner Francia Marquez, the nation's first black and second female vice-president. In his manifesto, Petro committed to 'undertake a gradual de-escalation of economic dependence on oil and coal.' He committed not to grant any new licenses for hydrocarbon exploration during his four-year mandate and to halt all pilot fracking projects and the development of offshore fossil fuels. 'These are not baby steps but huge steps towards the transition and reducing fossil fuels,' said Colombian environmentalist Martin Ramirez.

If Petro formalises his commitments to phasedown fossil fuel production, Colombia could become the largest fossil fuel producer to do so. At the Cop26 climate talks in Glasgow last year, Costa Rica and Denmark launched an alliance of countries committed to phasing out oil and gas production known as the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, collectively accounting for 0.2% of global oil production. Colombia produces around 1% of the world's coal, oil and gas.

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