EDITORIAL 06 May 2026 A new climate coalition to steer the transition away from fossil fuels is good news, but it must avoid undermining existing global scientific structures. You have full access to this article via your institution. Colombia’s environment minister Irene Vélez Torres (left) with her Netherlands counterpart Stientje van Veldhoven in Santa Marta, Colombia. Credit: Ivan Valencia/AP Photo/Alamy An important international climate-change initiative was launched last week: more than 50 countries gathered in Santa Marta, Colombia, for the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels. Co-chaired by the governments of Colombia and the Netherlands, the initiative was born at least partly out of frustration with the official United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) process, in which all UN member states attempt to work together on their climate-action policies.…