UB researchers participate in the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels - UB

In this context, the First Conference on the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels focuses on identifying collective strategies to drive a just and equitable energy transition, moving away from an energy model that primarily benefits a small number of energy companies and certain states, rather than the broader population. The conference responds to a broad societal consensus on the need to take decisive action and to the frustration caused by 30 years of climate negotiations within the United Nations framework, which have barely mentioned the need to reduce fossil fuels use.

The scientific community will play a leading role in the pre-conference on science and global policy issues (24 and 25 April), designed as a forum where the academic community shapes subsequent intergovernmental high-level discussions. Experts from the University of Barcelona, together with the Carbon Tracker Initiative, are co-organizing and moderating the working group on economics and data, focusing on the economic challenges and the availability of and access to the data required for the energy transition.

At the same time, Marcel Llavero, a researcher with the EXIT group, has played an active role in drafting a document initiated by the international scientific community that summarizes the key recommendations for governments. The document comprises 12 points organized into three sections, addressing the challenges of overcoming economic dependence (fair distribution of the costs and benefits of the transition, preventing new emissions, etc.); transforming supply and demand (eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, reducing risks for clean energy investments, etc.), and advancing international cooperation and climate diplomacy (integrating knowledge into the planning of a fair transition, reviewing international legal frameworks to limit litigation, etc.).

“In a context of global political instability and climate change denial, we are confident that this international conference can serve as a starting point for the gradual but decisive phase-out of fossil fuels,” concludes the team led by Professor Martí Orta.