A “first-of-its-kind international conference on moving away from fossil fuels” has concluded in Santa Marta, Colombia, reports the Associated Press. The newswire explains that “officials, climate advocates and financial experts from 56 countries” gathered to discuss how to transition away from fossil fuels. It continues: “The meeting did not produce binding commitments, but participants said it delivered a set of initial outcomes, including plans for continued cooperation between countries, the creation of working groups on issues such as financing and labor transitions, and momentum toward future negotiations aimed at coordinating a global phaseout of fossil fuels.” Agence France-Presse says that Tuvalu and Ireland have been named as the hosts of next year’s conference. Bloomberg reports that the French government used the event to release a “national road map” detailing plans to end coal by 2030, oil by 2045 and gas by 2050. It continues: “The core of France’s plan is a push to electrify transportation, buildings and parts of industry, backed by an expansion of low-carbon electricity production and grid investment. It highlights measures such as boosting electric vehicle sales, supporting heat pumps in buildings, developing public transport and increasing energy generation from nuclear, wind, solar, hydropower, hydrogen and other alternatives to fossil fuels.” The Financial Times says the plan “did not present new pledges but brought together existing climate and energy targets in a cohesive document with an explicit goal”. Agence France-Presse unpacks the roadmap, adding that “analysts say no other country has published such a clear and comprehensive plan”. BusinessGreen also covers the roadmap.

In other coverage of the summit, the Guardian reports that Colombian president Gustavo Petro told delegates that “the world is threatened by a ‘suicidal’ model of capitalism that is leading to war, fascism and the potential extinction of humanity”. Agence France-Presse reports that “oil-rich African nations” said at the talks they would “keep drilling to support economic growth”. Agence France-Presse lists key takeaways from the conference, including “the creation of an expert scientific panel to advise governments, cities or regions in planning their own pathways away from fossil fuels”. Politico, NPR, Euractiv and Bloomberg also cover the talks. [Carbon Brief’s in-depth summary will be published later today.]

The price of Brent oil surpassed $126 per barrel yesterday, reports the Guardian, adding: “Surging more than 13% in 24 hours, Brent crude hit a record price since the war began on 28 February. Not since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has Brent topped $120, with the price then peaking at $139.” The Financial Times says the surge “follows indications by Donald Trump on Wednesday that he would keep blockading the vital Strait of Hormuz until Iran agreed a deal to end its nuclear programme”. BBC News says that energy executives met Donald Trump on Tuesday “to discuss how to limit the fallout from the conflict on American consumers”. It continues: “Oil traders appear to have taken the meeting as a sign the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz will continue for a long time. The executives discussed topics including domestic energy production, progress in Venezuela, oil futures, natural gas and shipping, according to a White House official.” Axios, Politico, Bloomberg and Reuters also cover the meeting.

Meanwhile, Reuters reports that OPEC+ “will likely agree a small oil output quota hike on Sunday”. There is also ongoing coverage of the decision by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to leave OPEC, including from outlets such as Al Jazeera, BBC News and the New York Times. Bloomberg says that Trump has praised the UAE’s decision, saying that it would help to lower energy prices. Reuters reports that Goldman Sachs has said the UAE departure “poses a greater upside risk to oil ​supply over the medium term than in the short ‌term”. Separately, Reuters reports that Russia’s finance minister has said the decision means “oil-producing countries will boost production, bringing down global prices in the future”. Bloomberg reports that “Russia said it has no plans of leaving its alliance with OPEC”. 

MORE ON OIL AND GAS

• Reuters says the US has become a net exporter of crude oil “for the first time since world war two”, while Bloomberg reports that the US “has more natural gas than it can use”.
• Reuters says that PetroChina, Asia’s largest oil and gas producer, “posted a 1.9% rise in first-quarter profit on Wednesday”. 
• Bloomberg reports that “some of the biggest names in oil trading” are becoming involved in legal disputes about “who should be liable for contracted shipments that weren’t delivered as a result of the Iran war”. 
• Bloomberg: “Ukraine said it hit an oil pumping station deep inside Russia, as well as a sanctioned tanker in the Black Sea.”
• Bloomberg: “Morocco’s state-controlled natural resources company plans to start raising part of the $25bn needed to build a pipeline that will link gas fields in West Africa to the Mediterranean coastline.”
• Reuters reports that “oil producer BP and Venezuela ​have signed a memorandum of understanding ‌for the company to explore for gas in the Loran offshore area”.

The Guardian reports that the EU has announced a package of emergency measures to subsidise the extra cost of fuel and fertilisers caused by the Iran war. The newspaper adds: “Individual companies can claim up to €50,000 each between now and the end of the year with minimum paperwork, a measure the EU hopes will remove what it sees as an existential threat to hauliers and farmers. Energy-intensive industries including steel, chemicals or even rail firms, will be able to claim up to 70% of the extra electricity cost of eligible consumption.” The Guardian continues: “The EU said the loosening of state aid rules was an emergency measure aimed at helping those in agriculture and fisheries, including aquaculture, as well as transport – covering road, rail and inland waterways, plus intra-EU short sea shipping. No relief has been offered to airlines and airports regarding jet fuel, but potential future intervention has not been ruled out.” Bloomberg notes that “easing state-aid safeguards is a well-trodden path for the EU in times of crisis”. Euractiv and Reuters also cover the news.

MORE ON EUROPE

• The Associated Press reports that European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has warned that “EU countries must funnel their energy aid chiefly to vulnerable households and industries or risk wasting billions of euros”.
• According to Politico, von der Leyen said “in just 60 days of conflict, our bill for fossil-fuel imports has increased by over €27bn, without a single molecule of additional energy”.
• The Financial Times reports that “the EU has demanded an end to Hungarian and Slovak pricing systems that make fuel more expensive for foreign motorists than for residents”. 
• The Guardian continues coverage from yesterday of a report co-authored by a former deputy head of national security strategy at the UK Cabinet Office, which finds that “Europe is ‘sleepwalking’ into a series of economic and national security problems because of an over-reliance on Chinese green technology”.
• Reuters reports that most countries are currently looking to conserve jet fuel, but Europe is an exception.
• Politico says that Europe “doesn’t know how much fuel it has”. 

China has formally submitted a complaint to the European Commission over the European Union’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act, warning that the legislation would create “serious investment barriers and institutional discrimination” against Chinese companies and “vowing countermeasures if Brussels pushes ahead”, reports state-run newspaper China Daily. Additionally, financial news outlet Caixin reports Chinese automakers have unveiled “ambitious” expansion targets amid “fierce” price competition and overcapacity. China’s wind turbine manufacturer Ming Yang said its European strategy will not be affected by the UK’s rejection and that it will pick a European site for a factory by June, reports Bloomberg. It adds that the UK’s “politicisation” of the investment will “greatly undermine” Chinese companies’ “sense of security”, says the Financial Times.

Elsewhere, Jiang Wei, vice chairman of the China Iron and Steel Association, says that calculations from China’s “full-industry-chain Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) platform” show a “significant” gap between the default emissions values published under the EU’s CBAM and the actual emissions levels of Chinese steel products, reports state news agency China News Service. Jiang adds that the EU’s default emissions values are nearly double the actual levels in China and “significantly higher” than those of countries with similar technological standards, indicating a “clear discriminatory tendency”, adds the outlet. Caixin publishes an article saying that the EU’s “tightening carbon regime” is emerging as a “new barrier to Chinese auto exports”, prompting manufacturers to “step up decarbonisation efforts and strengthen carbon footprint management across their supply chains”.

MORE ON CHINA

• President Xi Jinping has urged officials to “enhance the capacity” to respond to natural disasters, reports Xinhua. China Daily reports that “heavy rain” and storms are expected in southern China over the May Day holiday.
• The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation forum on “green and sustainable development” has adopted a new initiative proposing cooperation on low-carbon technologies among SCO countries, reports China Daily.
• China’s thermal power output rose 3.7% last quarter, as “weather variations and grid constraints slowed the growth of clean energy”, reports Bloomberg.
• China’s top climate official, Liu Zhenmin, visited India on Tuesday to discuss the global climate agenda, reports the Tribune.
• In an article for China Daily, three energy experts have called for “systemic synergy” when addressing climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.
• Bloomberg reports that CATL has signed its first deal to provide 60GWh of sodium-ion battery storage to a domestic manufacturer. Caixin and the South China Morning Post also cover the story.

Democrats have begun an investigation into the Trump administration’s efforts to end offshore wind projects, reports the Associated Press. The newswire says the Trump administration “is spending nearly $2bn to get energy companies to walk away from US offshore wind projects”, adding that “three agreements have been announced”. The newswire adds that Democrats sent a letter to TotalEnergies yesterday “demanding documents and communications” and “advising the CEO not to take the money”. It adds: “The letter outlines the ways they think the deal appears to be illegal.” Heatmap says the investigation was announced by house representatives Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin. It quotes a press release, in which Huffman said: “We’re going to get every document, every email, every last receipt on this deal and every person who had a hand in this is going to answer for it…What I have to say to TotalEnergies is this: consider yourself on notice, we’re coming for you.” Meanwhile, CNN reports that offshore wind farms are taking shape along the coast of Rhode island.

MORE ON US

• The Guardian reports that “the US’s top utilities’ CEOs enjoyed a 16% pay raise last year…even as consumers shoulder the pain from high bills spurred by continuing inflation”.
• Inside Climate News reports that “Democrats and Republicans pushed back against the administration’s proposal to eliminate NOAA’s research office and monitoring stations across the globe”. 
• The Associated Press says that Democrats “accused the Trump administration of abandoning the Environmental Protection Agency’s mission to protect human health and the environment at a congressional hearing Wednesday, slamming agency leadership over a proposal to cut its budget in half”.
• Politico: “The US is continuing its efforts to scupper a global carbon tax on shipping by lobbying other countries over the costs that measure would impose.”
• The Independent says that more than 70 Democrats have “urged” Trump “not to permit Chinese automakers to build or sell cars in the US”.
• The Associated Press has an article on “one of America’s oldest weather observatories”. 

The loss of tropical rainforests slowed last year, “largely due to Brazil’s efforts to curb deforestation in the Amazon”, reports BBC News. The broadcaster says that the loss of tropical forests fell by 36% in 2025, according to analysis from the World Resources Institute and the University of Maryland. However, it adds that there is “concern that a two-pronged attack from climate change and the arrival of the warming El Niño weather pattern later this year could increase the likelihood and severity of forest fires.” Bloomberg says the world still lost 4.3m hectares of rainforest last year – “an area roughly the size of Denmark, or more than 11 soccer fields every minute”. It adds that forest loss last year was still 46% higher than a decade earlier. It says that “blazes are increasing in the tropics due to warmer temperatures and more severe droughts”. Climate Home News notes that the world “remains way off track for a 2030 goal to halt deforestation”. Al Jazeera also covers the news.

The UK’s department for transport has published new data showing that, at the end of 2025, there were “just over two million licensed zero-emission vehicles in the UK, representing 4.8% of all vehicles registered to drive on Britain’s roads”. It adds: “The milestone comes after well over half a million zero-emission vehicles were registered in the UK last year for the first time, marking an increase of 24% compared to the number registered in 2024.” The Press Association also covers the news.

MORE ON UK

• The Times: “Traditional tumble dryers are to be phased out in favour of heat-pump alternatives under new rules to be introduced as part of the push towards net-zero.”
• The Daily Express says Ed Miliband and Sir Keir Starmer have been “blasted” over an “economically illiterate” suggestion to put a windfall tax on the “excess” profits of energy companies, “despite those profits being earned overseas”. (See Comment below.)
• The Daily Telegraph reports that “the ministry of defence is in a dispute with Ed Miliband over plans to build one of the UK’s largest solar farms near an RAF fighter base”. BBC News also covers the news.
• The Financial Times: “Developers wanting to build data centres should target Scotland, the boss of Britain’s grid operator has said, warning that new projects in the south-east of England risk adding to stress in the energy system and pushing up costs.”

An editorial in the Guardian says that OPEC “appears to be the latest casualty of the Iran war”. It says the UAE’s decision to leave OPEC “is a blow to the group and its de-facto leader, Saudi Arabia, in the midst of the biggest supply crisis in history”. The editorial says that OPEC is “far from the peak of its power”, noting that it accounted for around half the world’s crude oil output in the 1970s, but is now around a quarter. It concludes: “Its announcement came as 57 countries met for the world’s first conference on the transition to renewables. The climate case for action is clear. Oil-importing countries may also find that the economic impact of the UAE’s decision comes primarily from unpredictable prices rather than lower ones. This week’s announcement is no excuse to ease off on the transition, but all the more reason to press ahead with increased urgency.”

MORE OIL COMMENT

• The Financial Times has an editorial arguing that the UAE’s decision to leave OPEC marks a “twilight” for the cartel.
• The Lex column in the Financial Times says the UAE’s exit “adds momentum to [the] OPEC doom loop” and “reflects the cartel’s declining market share and the ongoing energy transition”.
• Clyde Russell, Asia commodities and energy consultant for Reuters, argues that the Iran war will “supercharge” Asia’s move from fossil fuels to electricity. 
• Bloomberg columnist David Fickling writes that the oil shock will “hit Asia harder” than the crises in the 1970s.
• Bloomberg columnist Javier Blas argues against Donald Trump’s claims that the Iranian oil industry is about to “explode”.
• In his latest New York Times newsletter, David Wallace-Wells writes about the worldwide impacts of the Iran war, including on energy prices and oil and gas production.

The Times has an editorial under the subheading: “BP is a major contributor to the economy in taxes, investment and employment. Yet the energy secretary attacks the oil and gas company for daring to make money.” The editorial notes that BP has posted its highest quarterly profits in three years, arguing that this is “good news of a kind for the shareholders and pension funds who rely on the company’s continuing health”. It goes on to criticise UK energy secretary Ed Miliband, saying: “Such is the energy secretary’s zealotry that he would rather import liquefied natural gas from abroad, with all the risks to security of supply that entails, than maximise residual reserves. This energy masochism defies logic.” It concludes: “BP is one of the last oil majors in the North Sea; that involvement should be welcomed. The energy giant’s increased profits from the Iran war, a rare plus for a Britain now suffering its economic effects, are unlikely to last.” [See Carbon Brief’s recent factcheck: “Nine false or misleading myths about North Sea oil and gas.”]

MORE COMMENT

• Christopher Wright, principle analyst at decarbonisation consulting firm CarbonBridge, argues in Climate Home News that six countries at the Santa Marta conference – Canada, Brazil, Australia, Mexico, Nigeria and Noway – “could shape fossil-fuel futures”.
• Writing in Climate Home News, Anne Jellema, executive director of 350.org, outlines analysis by her campaign group into the cost of fossil fuels for a “world at war”. 
• Bloomberg opinion editor and columnist Mark Gongloff factchecks myths about solar power.
• The Guardian’s Australia’s climate and environment editor, Adam Morton, writes that “Labor will back fossil fuels in the budget, but the gas tax campaign isn’t dead yet”.
• An editorial in the climate-sceptic Sun yet again personally criticises Ed Miliband, saying: “It is a tragedy that Miliband refuses to allow vast reserves of oil and gas to be drilled, while workers are being thrown on the scrapheap.”
• An editorial in the Daily Express also criticises Miliband for his “economic illiteracy” in calling for oil companies to pay more for “excess profits”.
• Roger Pielke Jr, who is a fellow of a pro-fossil fuel US lobby group with a history of doubting climate science, claims in the climate-sceptic comment pages of the Wall Street Journal that “you can’t trust ‘climate economics’”. 

This edition of the Daily Briefing was written by Ayesha Tandon, with contributions from Henry Zhang and Anika Patel. It was edited by Leo Hickman.

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