Fossil fuel:
We will gather at the COP30 climate conference to hold a symbolic funeral in his honour. It is not that we believe that they are already dead, but that we know that they must be gone.
You have a fatal flaw: every time you burn, you trap heat on the planet. This is not an opinion. It is a physical condition and has no solution. Burning them releases gases that change the delicate balance that allows life to flourish on the planet. The longer they stay with us, the more hope diminishes.
Yes, it is true that at their best they have consolidated the progress that got us here. They made fortunes for those who extracted and sold them. But his time is up.
This funeral is based on evidence, not feelings. Let me explain some reasons why his rule must end, especially in Latin America.
Social change has already begun
Citizens, especially younger generations, prefer to protect life rather than support pollution. Surveys indicate that 80% of the population of many Latin American countries and the world believe that governments should prioritize investments in renewable energy, over fossil fuels.
They have a broken business model and they’re not cheap either.
Clean energy is now cheaper, safer and more scalable than you. In 2004, the world was producing 1 gigawatt of solar energy annually. By 2024, 1 gigawatt of solar energy will be installed every 12 hours. In Latin America and the Caribbean, renewable energies already account for about 60% of electricity generation, among the highest rates in the world.
Uruguay now gets about 98% of its electricity from renewable sources. In Brazil, solar and wind energy already account for 30% of electricity generation. For their part, fossil sources contribute only about 15% of the matrix.
In Africa, Ethiopia banned the import of cars with internal combustion engines. This measure seeks to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, reduce pollution and conserve foreign exchange. The example of Ethiopia is relevant because many Latin American countries continue to export oil and coal, while importing derivatives and gas. This is a paradox for the region: we export it and then pay more to import its processed forms.
Latin America concentrates a large part of the natural resources needed to promote the transition towards renewable energies. In a world that needs clean energy, the region can provide it in abundance. Not as an extractive colony, but as a territory capable of leading a new energy model based on social justice and respect for environmental systems.
These trends do not indicate a “phase in time,” but rather an ongoing structural transformation. Why support fossils, when their cleaner competitors already outpace them in terms of costs and impact?
Climate debt is already outstanding and is very high
Damage cannot be postponed forever. Floods, droughts, fires, storms, agricultural losses. These impacts destroy lives and property, consume enormous amounts of public and private resources, and erase years of progress and planning.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that to limit global warming to acceptable levels, there must be no new exploitation of fossil fuels and their emissions must decline rapidly.
If we do not bury them soon, we will bury ourselves: our families, our economies, our communities and our ecosystems are what are at stake.
Change comes faster than you think
This may not have been his actual funeral. But it’s time to start planning for your retirement. Because decarbonization is advancing rapidly, this is what people want.
In the region, the institutional bases for the energy transition are being strengthened, through green industrial development policies, safeguards and energy transition in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Chile, among others. Colombia announced that it will hold the first international conference on the elimination of fossil fuels in April 2026.
Governments and companies, especially national oil companies such as Petrobras, EPF, Ecopetrol, and Pemex, have a critical decision to make: will they remain stuck in a failing business model that is hurting their countries’ development, or will they adopt smarter strategies that focus on the multiple opportunities that clean energy offers? A recent study conducted in Brazil entitled “The Petrobras We Need” already identifies some of the ways in which the Brazilian giant can achieve this.
In Latin America we will choose life: vibrant forests, snow-capped peaks, stable climates, reliable crops, clean air, abundant water, fair economies, and good jobs.
So rest in peace, or better yet, let’s bury your business model before it buries us.
Energy Alliance Energy
About The Author
