AS GLACIERS ARE RETREATING, LEADERS IN ICELAND ARE STEPPING UP
Dear Friend,
During my recent visit to Iceland, I expected to spend my time learning about glacier melt. Standing at the foot of the receding Sólheimajökull glacier, listening to the sounds of ice cracking and shifting, it was impossible not to feel how quickly the world is changing. These glaciers are powerful reminders that we are racing against the clock.
I definitely didn’t expect to be talking about fire.
While we were in Reykjavík, fires burned on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Scientists told us something remarkable: that in a country defined by ice, volcanoes, and cold northern seas, wildfire is now becoming part of the story of a warming world. Summers are becoming drier, and even in Iceland, fire risk is rising.
And when Iceland starts to burn, it tells us something profound about how much our climate is shifting. Located at the gateway between the Arctic and the North Atlantic, Iceland sits in one of the fastest-warming regions on Earth. Climate impacts are already reshaping Iceland’s landscapes, ecosystems, and economy. Some glaciers have already vanished entirely.
But this is not just Iceland’s story. Glaciers are the planet’s water towers and climate regulators. Their disappearance accelerates sea-level rise, disrupts ocean currents, and threatens freshwater supplies for millions. What happens here reverberates across the world.
Iceland stands at a decisive moment. As a high-income country powered almost entirely by renewable electricity, Iceland has a powerful opportunity to lead. By becoming the first European country to call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty, Iceland would send a clear signal that those with the greatest capacity must move first to phase out fossil fuels. We are thrilled that scientists, artists, civil society from Iceland, and now theCity of Reykjavik, have joined the call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty and are encouraging the Icelandic government to join the growing bloc of countries developing the Treaty.
Next month, the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels will take place in Santa Marta, Colombia, a major coal-exporting port. Co-hosted by the Governments of Colombia and the Netherlands, it will be the first global diplomatic conference dedicated specifically to planning a managed phase-out of fossil fuels.
From Iceland’s glaciers to the mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, from the Arctic to the tropics, communities are witnessing the same truth. The era of fossil fuels must come to an end fast and fairly. Join us in calling for a Fossil Fuel Treaty and let’s make history together.
WE ARE GEARING UP FOR THE CONFERENCE IN SANTA MARTA
The Santa Marta Conference intends to position the transition away from fossil fuels as a foundation for economic resilience, international cooperation and long-term security.
Hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands, it aims to overcome economic dependence on fossil fuels, transform supply and demand, and strengthen multilateral cooperation around shared responsibility, joint effort and practical pathways forward.
We aim to make this a historic moment in the push to increase international cooperation on a fast and fair phase out of fossil fuels, including through advancing key next steps toward negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Treaty.
We’ve officially dropped “non-proliferation” from our name—but not from our mission. It’s a small change, but an important one to reinforce our commitment to place justice and equity at the heart of the transition.
‘Non-proliferation’ remains essential for a just, equitable phase-out. Yet, it’s not enough to just stop producing fossil fuels, we have to work towards a transition that is truly global and just for everyone. Plus, let’s be honest, it was a mouthful.
NEW REPORT - GENDER, DEBT AND FOSSIL FUELS: A MAPPING OF KEY INSIGHTS FROM AFRICA
A new report, Gender, Debt and Fossil Fuels: A Mapping of Key Insights from the African Continent, shows that climate change, fossil fuel extraction and debt all reinforce gender injustices on their own. The injustices only compound and worsen as the associated and growing crises they create overlap.
As a result, Africa is at the frontlines of the global climate, fossil fuels and debt polycrisis that is largely based on unjust systems perpetuating extraction of resources to the Global North.
CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL JOINS THE CALL FOR A FOSSIL FUEL TREATY!
Christchurch, the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, voted in favor of a motion to endorse the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, joining almost 150 cities in the movement for a global framework on a just transition towards diversified, accessible renewable energy.
The motion was introduced by Councillor for Spreydon, Melanie Coker, who urged council members to “act in solidarity with our Pacific neighbours,” who are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
The Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN) is organizing the Women’s Momentum Assembly for a Just Fossil Fuel Phaseout, a virtual global assembly of women and gender-diverse leaders in the lead-up to the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels.
This virtual Assembly will be held on March 31, 2026, from 1:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST, live-streamed globally, and will include interpretation in Portuguese, Spanish, French, and English.Learn more and register for the Assembly
IN THE MEDIA
“Industry lobbying slows down the shift to cleaner, cheaper energy options that could save families money and keep communities safer. In the InfluenceMap press release, Tzeporah Berman, chair and founder of the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, called out these companies for "actively sabotaging climate action and weakening government ambition."
“Imagine water pooling on the bathroom tiles and starting to mop while the tap is still running. It's an apt analogy for the world's climate change response over the past three decades, according to Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative president Kumi Naidoo.”
“We don’t judge the role of fossil fuels in the past, but we recognise the need to step out now, and come with credible proposals that make sense.” (Amiera Sawas, Fossil Fuel Treaty initiative)”
SOCIALS WORTH SHARING
A brief history of fossil fuel imperialism
”Oil imperialism” has become a bit of a buzzword. But what is fossil fuel imperialism? And what can we do about it?
Julian Aguon, author, Indigenous human rights lawyer and founder of Blue Ocean Law, reflects on his early experiences of the climate crisis, in conversation with journalist Isabella Kaminski.
Help sustain this growing global momentum by making a donation to advance the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative’s work toward a fast, fair and financed transition from oil, gas and coal extraction.
Thank you for helping us take the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative to the next level!
