PORT VILA, Friday 17 April 2026 — Pacific governments and civil society came together in Vanuatu this week as part of a key regional meeting ahead of the landmark First International Conference for the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia, later this month, against the backdrop of a global energy crisis which has seen Pacific Island nations hit especially hard.
The meeting, held from April 13-15, saw a new landmark declaration: The Tassiriki Call for a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific. Leaders cited the energy crisis as evidence of the dangers of fossil fuel dependence and the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels. The significant climate finance gap was identified as a key constraint to the transition in the region.
The global energy crisis driven by the US and Israel's illegal war on Iran has raised the stakes for a region that is among the most vulnerable to both climate change but is also one of the most fuel-exposed economies in the world. Many Pacific nations are grappling with fuel shortages that threaten power and basic services due to rising fuel costs, with Tuvalu declaring a 14-day state of emergency.
Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific at Greenpeace Australia Pacific who attended the meeting, said: “Never before has the need to end the fossil fuel chokehold been so abundantly clear, as our Pacific communities again suffer the consequences of a global economy hooked on coal, oil and gas.
“It’s always ordinary people who suffer the costs of war — whether innocent civilians killed by bombs, or our communities seeing food and power bills soar, while already bearing the brunt of a cost of living and climate crisis.
“This meeting comes at a critical moment, and was an opportunity for a renewed push for a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific. The government leaders and civil society present at the meeting continued to strongly affirm Pacific’s status as a global leader on climate action. Momentum is building ahead of Santa Marta, and as Australia prepares to preside over the next round of international climate negotiations at COP31 in Türkiye, in partnership with the Pacific.
“Urgent action to transition away from fossil fuels is fundamental to limiting warming to 1.5°C — a survival line for Pacific communities, but also a path of liberation that frees us from expensive, extractive and polluting fossil fuel imports and uplifts our communities. The Pacific has played a vital role in getting to this point, shaping international agreements and holding the line on 1.5°C.
“The phase out of fossil fuels depends on determined international cooperation, particularly when it comes to unlocking the finance needed to support countries and communities with implementing solutions. It is vital the transition is grounded in Pacific knowledge and led by the local communities who live these realities every day.
“The expansion of fossil fuels is incompatible with a 1.5C-aligned world — Greenpeace Australia Pacific will continue to campaign alongside Pacific nations to fast-track the transition to clean, affordable wind and solar energy, the only solution to the energy crisis we are currently all facing globally.”
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Notes to Editor
Shiva Gounden will be among a small number of Pacific climate leaders heading to Santa Marta from April 24-29 for the First International Conference for the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, and is available for interview.
The conference will see at least 45 countries launch an international coalition to jointly implement the transition away from fossil fuels, with representatives from the Australian government expected to attend.
Contact details:
Kate O’Callaghan on +61 406 231 892 or [email protected]
or
Kimberley Bernard on +61 407 581 404 or [email protected]