Colombia versus oil and gas: what’s the truth behind the transition?

In 2022, Gustavo Petro became the first left-wing candidate to win the Colombian presidential election. During his election campaign, Petro pledged to end the granting of new oil and gas exploration contracts, a commitment his government has so far succeeded in maintaining. 

This week, Alasdair speaks with third-year doctoral student Guy Edwards who has interviewed over 50 people - from former government ministers to academics and industry representatives - about the impact of Petro’s pledge on Colombia’s energy transition.  

Guy and Alasdair discuss what the pledge entails, how it was received by the fossil fuel industry and right-wing media and what will likely become of it following fresh presidential elections next year.    

Guy Edwards is a PhD candidate in International Relations at the University of Sussex and a member of the Working Group on Natural Resources, Energy and Climate Obstruction in the Global South of the Climate Social Science Network 

Further reading: 

Commentary: The Petro government’s big gamble on ending fossil fuel licensing,
University of Sussex, 2025 

Climate obstruction in the Global South: Future research trajectories, PLOS Climate Journals, 2023 

Supply-side climate policy: A new frontier in climate governance, WIREs Climate Change, 2024  

El dilema de Colombia y el mundo: salir de la era fósil o sufrir sus impactos devastadores, Elespectador, 2023 

Retrasar la transición energética podría costarle a Colombia 88.000 millones de dólares,  
Elespectador, 2023 

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