Climate Justice Flotilla sails to deliver its demands at the High-level conference centre in Santa Marta

SANTA MARTA, COLOMBIA – Today, the Climate Justice Flotilla sails to deliver its urgent demands to the 56 governments participating in the High-Level Segment of the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels. The flotilla’s vessels—the Apsara, Seatao, and Ocean Rebellion—are positioned off the coast of Pozo Colorado, directly in front of the Estelar Santa Marta Hotel, where the diplomatic dialogues are currently underway.

Sailing through Dutch-Caribbean islands, the Flotilla witnessed the impacts of climate change in vulnerable economies, dependent from fossil fuels and from extractive tourism, a
symptom of structural colonial inequalities that are still to end and that block climate action. As part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, furthermore, the islands see their autonomy and
sovereignty impaired and are underrepresented in climate governance.

The Flotilla further joined actions and dialogues in Santa Marta – including a block at Drummond Coal port – asking for a just transition for workers, farming and fishing communities, together with an energy embargo for harmful fossil fuel uses.

“Fifty-six governments are gathered here, in a territory that has experienced climate injustice from the sea to the land. The time for rhetoric is over. What we demand is a clear route
forward, real commitments, and—above all— the Global North finally taking responsibility for the crisis it created. Santa Marta is a climate and social crime scene, let it also be the
place where the seed for a just and decentralised energy transition is planted.”
— Elisa Charpentier Torres, Steering Committee Member, Climate Justice Flotilla

Our Demands

The Climate Justice Flotilla calls for:

•  A binding Fossil Fuel Treaty, guaranteeing a just transition and Free, Prior, and Informed Consent for affected communities.
• Debt cancellation, reparations, and adequate climate finance, recognising past and present colonial harm while creating fiscal space for sovereign transitions across the Global South.
• A downscaling of energy and material consumption in the Global North, essential for remaining within planetary boundaries. Furthermore, the Climate Justice Flotilla supports a proposal of an energy embargo, together with Global Sumud Flotilla, Global Energy Embargo for Palestine, and BDS Colombia, in the form of a Prohibited Uses Protocol—a proposed legal framework classifying fossil fuel uses linked to warfare, genocide, ecocide, and climate apartheid as violations of the obligation to protect life.