CRACKS OF LIGHT: WHAT I LEARNED IN EUROPE AND INSPIRATION ON THE ROAD TO BELEM
From Left to Right: Lorna Gold (Executive Director of Laudato Si’ Movement), Mark Campanale (Founder and Director of Carbon Tracker), and Tzeporah Berman (Founder and Steering Committee Chair of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative).
Dear friends,
After 34 days, 10 cities, and over 50 meetings, I came back home from a tour in Europe filled with hope. Support for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is not just growing — it's accelerating. In Rome and Geneva, dozens of governments showed up to our briefings. Everywhere we went, government officials and partners alike were eager to meet, eager to act. I heard stories of unions, teachers, healthcare workers, faith leaders — all organizing to bring more cities and countries on board.
But it wasn’t just the meetings that left me inspired. Walking the streets of Copenhagen, seeing Denmark’s astonishing energy-efficient buildings, cycling through the Netherlands on bike highways, and traveling across Europe on fast, clean trains — I could see the fossil fuel phaseout taking shape in real life. And not only in Europe, but in every corner of the planet, we are seeing possibilities and alternatives bloom, showing us that a future beyond fossil fuels is not only necessary, it is already unfolding, and it is beautiful.
In conversation after conversation, it was clear: the energy crises of the past few years cracked open a door. After decades of dependence on Russian gas under Putin — and now facing a new dependence on U.S. gas under Trump — European governments are beginning to redefine energy security itself: not as securing new supplies of fossil fuels, but as phasing them out altogether. True security means ending fossil fuel dependence — ending the grip of oligarchs and billionaires who continue to profit while the world gasps, burns, and floods. Putin's war on Ukraine also triggered a dash for gas across Africa. European governments redefining energy security to mean fossil fuel phase out would help curb the momentum of this neo-colonial rush for resources in the Global South too. That door is open a crack, and it’s up to us to push it wide open.
Meanwhile, our team was divided up between the Amazon and Brasilia, Brazil, where the biggest national mobilisation of Indigenous leaders — the Free Land Camp (ATL) — was happening, gathering Indigenous nations from the pan-Amazon, the Pacific, Australia and Canada. At the Amazon Assembly in Tarapoto, Peru, they were working alongside Indigenous leaders to launch a bold new campaign: an Amazon Free from Fossil Fuels. Their leadership offers a clear, tangible proposal to rally around on the road to Belém and COP30 — a call that can inspire other regions, lift up Indigenous leadership, and help cut through the green-washing we know is coming.
As I reflect on our team's journey over the past month, from Europe to the Amazon, one truth stands out: the movement for a fossil-free world is not just a vision—it’s a reality that is taking root across continents. From the energy-efficient streets of Copenhagen to the Indigenous-led assemblies in the Amazon, people and governments, cities and nations are coming together around a shared understanding that our collective future can only be built beyond fossil fuels.
The cracks of light are growing brighter, and with every individual, organisation, business, and world leader joining this movement, we will be able to move ahead stronger and faster. The road to Belém and beyond is paved with hope, action, and the unwavering belief that together, we can achieve a better, safer, healthier and more prosperous future for all. Let’s keep moving forward—because this is just the beginning.
Our latest report reveals how the growing debt crisis in Global South countries is fueling a dangerous cycle of fossil fuel dependence. To service mounting debt, governments are being pushed to expand oil, gas, and coal extraction, locking in financial instability and climate risk without delivering true energy security.
Authors Amiera Sawas and Jwala Rambarran outline how the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative offers a pathway toward globally coordinated debt relief and a fair phase-out of fossil fuels.
The Permanent Missions of Samoa and the Republic of Vanuatu recently convened a powerful diplomatic briefing on the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty at the United Nations Office in Geneva.
With representatives from 15 countries in attendance, the gathering sparked vital conversations about advancing the Treaty and the next steps toward global coordination on phasing out fossil fuels. We hope to build on the momentum of this event to strengthen our engagement with participating delegations - and others - in Geneva.
BANGLADESH'S LEADERSHIP IN A FOSSIL FUEL-FREE FUTURE
On April 7, the “Bangladesh’s Leadership in Fossil Fuel-Free Future” webinar explored why Bangladesh must endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, a global initiative aimed at phasing out fossil fuels and accelerating a fair transition to renewable energy.
Experts, civil society leaders, and youth advocates discussed the urgent need for energy reform, the economic and social benefits of renewables, and how tackling corruption in the fossil fuel industry can pave the way for a cleaner, more equitable future.
Join us with ISONECC Civil Society Network on Climate Change Malawi, Coordination Union for Rehabilitation of Environment (CURE Malawi), and Trócaire for a deep dive into the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative — a big, bold proposal for a fair & financed transition from fossil fuel dependency to a justice-based renewable future. Learn more about the campaign and hear from voices across Malawi and Africa so we can build our collective power for a just transition together.
As we consider approaches to ensure governments begin negotiating a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, it’s time to learn from one of the most impressive campaigns of our time - the push for the negotiation of a Mine Ban Treaty. What can we learn from this historic campaign in the push to now negotiate a similar framework to keep fossil fuels in the ground? Join us as we hear from powerful voices who helped take the Mine Ban Treaty from a dream to reality.
Date: 22nd May 2025
Time: 3 PM - 4PM UTC
Live translations: Available in Spanish and French
“Tzeporah Berman, founder of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, said: “There is no question that China not coming is a huge setback for global energy cooperation, at a critical moment in history. Trump will send a Maga climate denier to try to distort the conversation and push for increased dependency on US oil and gas, rather than a shift towards cleaner energy systems.
“China is leading the world in renewables and electric cars and their refusal to come is a clear signal that they are not going to entertain the Trump administration’s strong-arming to hold back progress.”
“For example, among participants who did not imagine a sustainable world, 44% disagreed or strongly disagreed that the Willow Project should be completed. That opposition increased to 53% for participants who imagined a sustainable world. Participants who imagined a sustainable world were also more likely to support the U.S. signing a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty—a campaign to get governments around the world to commit to ending the development of new fossil fuel projects.
“The church’s leadership has taken a strong position on the unfolding climate and biodiversity crises. It has not endorsed the proposed Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, a global initiative to accelerate the transition to renewable energy, but more than 100 Catholic institutions have done so.
SOCIALS WORTH SHARING
Join our global team!
We are seeking a consultant to increase the public and political support and building momentum for Spain to join the group of countries participating in the discussions on the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The pathway out of climate hell is paved by renewables
During a high stakes virtual summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stood alongside world leaders with one message: fossil fuels are driving destruction, and the only way forward is fast, fair, and financed climate action.
