Stop Fossil Subsidies’ COFFIS Observatory welcomes Colombia’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), published in December 2025, which contains one of the clearest commitments to fossil fuel subsidy reform seen to date globally. The NDC explicitly recognises the need to phase out fossil fuel subsidies and sets a milestone for developing an inventory and reform proposal as part of a roadmap for their gradual elimination.
The inclusion of fossil fuel subsidy phase-out in the NDC reflects the political momentum generated throughout 2025, including the upcoming Santa Marta Conference (28-29 April), where governments, experts, and civil society will discuss a Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels.
According to the NDC, Colombia plans to deliver an inventory of fossil fuel subsidies and a reform proposal by 2027. While this direction is welcome, the Observatory stresses that timelines now matter as much as intent. Under the COFFIS coalition, Colombia was expected to publish a comprehensive inventory by November 2025. That milestone has not yet been met.
“Including fossil fuel subsidy reform in Colombia’s NDC is a strong political signal, and it deserves recognition,” said Paolo Destilo, spokesperson for the Observatory. “But if Colombia wants to lead the way as it is organizing the first International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, an inventory of fossil fuel subsidies should be published by the end of 2026 at the latest. Without a clear and timely baseline, any phase-out plan risks being delayed or weakened.”
Publishing a full inventory by the end of 2026 would provide clarity on the scale and beneficiaries of fossil fuel subsidies, enable informed public debate, and lay the groundwork for a robust and socially just phase-out plan to follow. Delaying this step until 2027 would put Colombia out of sync with its own international signals and with emerging best practice among countries committing to subsidy reform.
As attention turns from pledges to implementation, the COFFIS Observatory calls on the Colombian government to use the momentum of the new NDC and the Santa Marta Conference to accelerate delivery, starting with a transparent fossil fuel subsidy inventory no later than 2026, followed by a clear and enforceable phase-out roadmap.
