'More fossil fuels today are literally the highway to hell, not a gift of God'

- Rev. Fletcher Harper, GreenFaith

Dear friends, 

We came to the UN Climate Talks in Baku knowing that our very survival hinges on a firm, global commitment to end the era of oil, gas and coal, including by financing that transition fairly. We hoped COP29 would move past rhetoric and drive meaningful change by setting a clear plan for a fair and fully funded global transition to clean, safe, renewable sources. We hoped it would include substantial climate finance commitments of trillions of dollars per year under the New Collective Quantified Goal, essential for supporting developing countries in the most needed ‘transition away from fossil fuels’, finally agreed upon at last year's COP28 in Dubai. 

We needed to see finance in the trillions of dollars per year - commensurate with the needs of developing countries in facing the onslaught of the climate crisis and transitioning away from the deadly threat of fossil fuels - but developed countries repeatedly refused to commit significant public resources as they have long promised. They have money to fund wars, bombs, and genocides, but when it comes to addressing the climate crisis, all they can deliver are broken promises - plus USD378 billion per year towards the continued expansion of the very source of the crisis: fossil fuel production. 

As part of the wider movement for a fossil fuel phase out, we shared expectations that COP29 would deliver on the adequate funds to finance the urgently needed transition away from oil, gas, and coal. But we've seen history repeat itself, year after year: wealthy polluting nations blocking advances inside the negotiating rooms and thousands of lobbyists from the fossil fuel industry flooding the corridors of the UN Climate Talks. 

Rather than wait to be disappointed yet again, we as the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, focussed on the effort to negotiate a new global framework to complement the Paris Agreement and help achieve its goals, looked to make the most of COP29, taking part in hundreds of events across these 2 weeks. Most importantly, we supported a growing bloc of countries seeking to negotiate a Fossil Fuel Treaty as they set the course for the next phase in 2025 to secure a negotiating mandate. 

At COP29, we organised the Second Ministerial Meeting of the nation-states forming the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative. A cross-section of Ministers and senior government officials from the endorsing nations from the Pacific, Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as observers from other countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Europe who are interested in advancing the proposal, gathered to discuss key priorities for the Fossil Fuel Treaty proposal in 2025, including proposed legal pathways and mechanisms for financing a just transition. Following the ministerial meeting, we hosted a press conference with the Government of Colombia, allies and experts to share the progress toward a Fossil Fuel Treaty. We also held, supported and participated in several other press conferences with civil society and movement partners.

While wealthy nations stalled progress in Baku, we worked with those willing to make a difference, particularly through fighting for a meaningful outcome of the Just Transition Work Programme. That is also why we partnered with the Global Alliance of Banking on Values to hold a powerful event exploring how public and private finance can be transformed to phase out fossil fuels and empower Just Transition pathways in countries endorsing the Fossil Fuel Treaty. We know that the future lies in governments, banks, and civil society collaborating to finance a climate-secure and equitable world. For this very same reason, we also launched a new paper, If It’s Not Global, It’s Not Just: How A Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Can Accelerate Finance For A Global Just Transition.

Coming to Baku also gave us a valuable chance to share precious face time with many of you - the incredible network of close to a million individuals and over 3,500 organisations and institutions fighting for a Fossil Fuel Treaty. We were incredibly inspired to hear from you all about the amazing work you are doing to build a fossil-free world beyond the halls of the COP. We want to extend our gratitude to those who joined our reception on Saturday and our even deeper appreciation for all of you who braved the early start on Sunday morning to join our Treaty Strategy Breakfast. Your invaluable contributions will directly inform the 2025 planning, and we are excited to embark on that next step of the fight shoulder to shoulder with you all.

We leave Baku bitterly disappointed with the actual COP outcome, but we are encouraged to see collective progress being made beyond the UNFCCC and determined to continue fighting for a fair, fossil-free future. 

That is why we are launching a powerful open letter to world leaders calling for a global plan to phase out fossil fuels signed by actors, influencers, writers, scientists, academics, youth, faith, and civil society leaders calling for a Fossil Fuel Treaty to “create a binding framework to end the expansion of coal, oil, and gas projects and manage and finance a fast and fair transition away from fossil fuels that is in line with the science and leaves no one behind.” 

“There is now a potential to build a justice-centred high-ambition international coalition of nation-states ready to lead the transition, who negotiate a treaty that is not consensus-based – meaning no single country can block others pushing to phase out fossil fuels.”

FOSSIL FUEL TREATY AT COP29

IN THE MEDIA

"Since 2020, Berman has chaired the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, a global advocacy campaign calling for a treaty, complementary to the Paris Agreement, that would limit the production of new fossil fuels and orchestrate a 'managed decline of production based on equity and justice.'"

"The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, as it has become known, is modelled on its nuclear cousin. It seeks to end new exploration and production of coal, oil and gas."

"Glasgow City Council has voted to endorse a global treaty calling for a just transition away from fossil fuels. The city has joined 120 others across the world backing the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty."

“'We are deeply concerned about what’s happening here in the conference rooms at COP29 regarding finance,' said Singh. “The proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty will support the work of the Paris Agreement [...] and Just Transition Work Programmes,' he added."

"The reality is that developed countries are trying to pose themselves as climate leaders. They want a conversation on that, but back home they’re expanding fossil fuels [...] The core of the issue remains finance. Unless money is put on the table, the transitioning away from fossil fuels is not going to be a reality in developing countries."

"'It is a disgrace that despite full awareness of the devastating climate crises afflicting developing nations and the staggering costs of climate action — amounting to trillions — developed nations have only proposed a meagre $250 billion per year,' said Harjeet Singh of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty."

"Alex Rafalowicz, executive director of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, said: 'Countries are not to blame for their natural resources, but they are responsible for the threat they pose to humanity by extracting them from the ground and driving climate impacts. This is betraying the nations that are present here in these negotiations.'”

“'[Anti-COP] really brought together people that wouldn’t normally be engaged in the formal COP process,' said Netzler, the Pacífic campaign associate for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative. 'It brought those in the frontline communities.'”