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Countries all over the world are trying to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide to limit global warming to 1.5°C. At COP30, a road map to implement the accelerated phase-out of fossil fuels in energy systems did not reach unanimity. In response to this, the governments of The Netherlands and Colombia have announced a ministerial ‘International Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels’, from 24-29 April in Santa Marta, Colombia. As such, a voluntary ‘coalition of the willing’ rallying around the multilaterally fraught issue of fossil fuel phase-outs endeavours to achieve global progress on just, orderly and equitable climate transitions. As COP31 President of Negotiations, Australia this year takes a unique role of driving global agreements on climate change mitigation through decarbonisation.

This roundtable event brings together academic, governmental and diplomatic voices to discuss conditions of a Just Transition, and Australia’s opportunities and obligations towards global agreements and Pacific Partnerships.

Ambassador of the Netherlands Ardi Stoios-Braken and Ambassador of Colombia Diego Felipe Cadena Montenegro will provide contextual remarks on behalf of their respective countries.

Speakers

Salā Dr George Carter is Senior Fellow and Deputy Head of the Department of Pacific Affairs, ANU. His work contributes to areas of climate politics, foreign policy, multilateralism, non-western and Oceanic Diplomacy, Pacific regionalism and geopolitics, indigenous knowledge and philosophy. He is also Co-Director and founder of the Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (RESI).

Professor Christian Downie is a Professor in ANU's School of Regulation and Global Governance, where he is the Director of the Governing Energy Transition (GET) Lab. Christian has worked as an advisor to several Australian Government agencies, most recently as a Principal Advisor on secondment in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water.

Mijica Lus is ACT Branch Director for the UN Young Professionals Network, ACT National Council Representative for the Australian Red Cross, and State Coordinator for Pacific Climate Warriors. She was recognised as ACT’s Young Woman of the Year 2024. Mijica’s storytelling focuses on youth empowerment, different climate impacts across the Pacific region and the realities of Pacific diaspora engaging in climate advocacy in Australia.

Dr Claudia Munera is Honorary Lecturer at ANU, and an expert on biodiversity and conservation science, and climate change adaptation. She has worked with institutions in Colombia and Central America from the local to institutional levels, engaging in initiatives that consider scientific information but also that understand and include local communities knowledge, their needs and the environmental and cultural realities.

DCCEEW COP31 Division representative (TBC).

Registration

The event will be followed by a catered reception. Please RSVP by Friday, 13th March 2026 to can-events@minbuza.nl. Kindly advise of any dietary requirements.