Colombia’s fossil fuel phase-out roadmap outlines a pathway to reduce fossil fuel use by around 90% by 2050, combining electrification, renewable energy expansion, and structural economic transformation across sectors. Developed through a collaboration between Colombian and UK experts, the plan emphasises a "Real Zero" transition that prioritizes absolute emission reductions over offsets.
In the power sector, the transition is driven by rapid deployment of solar and wind energy, replacing fossil-based generation and enabling a largely renewable electricity system. In transport, the roadmap emphasises large-scale electrification—particularly electric vehicles and public transport—alongside the use of biofuels and hydrogen for heavy and long-distance transport. The industry and buildings sectors focus on energy efficiency improvements and electrification of heat and processes, supported by low-carbon technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture for harder-to-abate activities. Beyond end-use sectors, the roadmap highlights a major economic shift away from fossil fuel exports toward alternative industries, including green hydrogen, biofuels, and critical minerals, to maintain economic stability. Lastly, cross-cutting measures include substantial investment in clean energy, grid expansion, and demand-side management, all framed within a “just transition” approach to ensure economic resilience and social stability.All in all, the roadmap addresses the critical need for a "just transition" by proposing a structured plan to replace declining fossil fuel export revenues with new sectors, such as critical mineral exports like copper, and ensuring support and retraining for affected communities.

Colombia's Roadmap for Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels

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Defining National Fossil Fuel Phase Out Roadmaps: A Colombian Case Study

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Renewable energy means all forms of energy produced from renewable sources in a sustainable manner.

Fossil fuel is a generic term for non-renewable energy sources such as coal, fossil gas, and oil (including crude oil, and petroleum products), that can be used for electricity and heat generation. Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from pressurised and heated organic material buried over millions of years.

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Area of the economy in which actors engage in identical or related activities.

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Aligning the skills of the workforce with the requirements of the just transition.

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the fair distribution of risks and opportunities of climate change and the transition to a regenerative economy, cognisant in particular of disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities and the working class

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Defining National Fossil Fuel Phase Out Roadmaps: A Colombian Case Study

Target

Policy instrument

Risk

Impacted group

Just transition

Climate justice

Renewable energy

Fossil fuel

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector

Adaptation/resilience

Finance