As West Asia fire rages, green transition chatter gets louder

New Delhi: The ongoing conflict in West Asia that triggered the roiling of international oil and gas supplies and prices has given a fresh impetus for a planned transition away from fossil fuels. Colombia, in partnership with the Netherlands, will be hosting the first international conference on Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels at the end of April in Santa Marta, Colombia.

Meanwhile Brazil, as the COP30 presidency, has begun the process of preparing a roadmap, reaching out to governments, academia, researchers, think tanks and intergovernmental energy organizations to identify solutions to ensure a just, orderly and equitable shift away from fossil fuels. The Abu Dhabi-based intergovernmental renewable energy agency, IRENA, is working on a roadmap to present to the Türkiye-Australia COP31 team.

The virtual closure of free movement through the Strait of Hormuz has affected global supplies of crude oil. But when it comes to gas, the impact is felt most by countries in Asia, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. These countries are paying the steepest prices as the conflict in West Asia rages on.


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“A lot of the problems could have been avoided if Asian countries had switched faster to renewables,” said Ramnath N Iyer, Sustainable Finance Lead, Asia, at the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

At the final plenary of the UN climate talks in Belem, addressing a demand raised by some 80 countries and in line with a call by President Lula of Brazil, COP30 President Andrée Corrêa do Lago committed to prepare a roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels.

In a letter written in late February, do Lago invited contributions for the roadmap. The COP30 President said that while the initiative does “not derive from a negotiated mandate and are being undertaken under my responsibility, I am firmly convinced that they must be pursued in an inclusive, participatory, and transparent manner, and that these roadmaps can help us identify practical options for implementing the goals we have already agreed.”

“The desire is that this roadmap unites countries. I clearly indicated that countries must understand the problems and different contexts of other countries. A just, orderly and equitable transition must best reflect the diverse realities of countries at different stages of development and with different levels of dependence on different types of fossil fuels,” do Lago told ET laying out the broad strokes of the roadmap.

Among the issues to be addressed are critical barriers —physical, economic, financial, institutional, technological or social— preventing a transition away from fossil fuels, the potential levers to accelerate the transition, and experience of efforts to reduce fossil fuel dependence.

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For instance, India’s transition away from fossil fuels could begin with oil and gas. The conflict in West Asia demonstrates this considering that India imports over 85% of its crude oil and nearly half of its natural gas. Even though coal is the “dirtiest” of the fossil fuels, it is India’s primary source of domestic baseload power.

“By reducing dependence on expensive gas and oil imports first, India gains the fiscal breathing room necessary to reinvest in massive grid upgrades. This infrastructure is essential to eventually phasing down coal without risking energy poverty or instability,” said Harjeet Singh, climate activist and founding director of Satat Sampada Climate Foundation.

The first international conference on the transition away from fossil fuels hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands will provide an opportunity to bring together different stakeholders. Colombia’s Environment Minister Irene Vélez-Torres said the conference should focus on implementing the transition away from fossil fuels rather than negotiating it. A series of online dialogues will precede the conference in Santa Marta at the end of April. The week-long meeting will include a three-day segment focusing on science, and a special focus on subnational governments, trade unions and the private sector, ending with a two-days segment in which government representatives and officials will participate.

“The conference does not intend to replace the COP process, but to complement it,” said Daniela Durán González, who is with Colombia’s environment ministry.

When it comes to the discussions on the roadmap, India has been quiet, though India was a key mover of the effort to initiate discussions on the necessity to phase down all fossil fuels at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt. As the world’s largest and growing energy market, India can shape the discussions on the transition away from fossil fuels ensuring that roadmaps are just, fair, and meet the developmental needs of developing countries. India’s cautious approach is an outcome of its experience at the 2021 UN climate meeting in Glasgow (COP26) and the focus on phasing down coal.

“While coal is a ‘necessity’ for now, it is an inevitable "liability" for the future. By leading the TAFF discussion, India can secure the international financial and technical support it needs. India’s active participation in developing the roadmap will ensure that the global definition of 'transition' includes energy access and justice,” said Singh.

A veteran climate activist, Singh is of the view that India’s participation would be a clear signal to global investors that the future of the Indian economy is renewable.

As the voices asking for roadmaps to transition away from fossil fuels start to get louder, especially as the conflict in West Asia rages on, developing countries like India must recognise the benefits of a planned transition. Brazil’s environment minister Marina Silva told ET that the rich industrialised countries already have their roadmaps, it is important that developing countries undertake a “process of preparation” to move away from fossil fuels that is the main cause of climate change, especially as these countries are already experiencing its impacts. Silva makes it clear that there cannot be a single solution that is fit for all.

“Each developing country will look at its own trajectories and technological possibilities, and find ways for moving away from dependence on the use of fossil fuels in a way that results in opportunities for job creation and income generation,” said Silva.