‘Historic breakthrough’: could the fossil fuel era be coming to an end?

‘Historic breakthrough’: could the fossil fuel era be coming to an end?

From Science Weekly by The Guardian

May 5, 2026 · 15 min

About this episode

The episode discusses a significant climate meeting aimed at ending the fossil fuel era and features insights from Jon Watts.

The transition towards renewable energy received a boost last week when representatives from 57 countries met in Santa Marta, Colombia, for a world-first climate meeting aimed at bringing the fossil fuels era to an end. Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s global environment editor, Jon Watts, about how the landmark conference came about, who was missing, and whether the optimism can translate into real world action. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

People in this episode

Host: Madeleine Finlay

Guest: Jon Watts

Topics covered

  • renewable energy
  • fossil fuels
  • climate change
  • international cooperation
  • environmental policy

Keywords

  • renewable energy
  • fossil fuels
  • climate meeting
  • environment
  • international cooperation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Guardian

Places: Santa Marta, Colombia

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