TRUE LEADERSHIP FOR AUSTRALIA MEANS STANDING WITH PACIFIC NATIONS, NOT EXPANDING FOSSIL FUELS
Friends,
Some months, this bulletin is full of momentum and good news. But I’ll be honest – it’s been a tough few weeks in the global push for a phase out of fossil fuels.
This decision was a slap in the face to Pacific leaders who have spearheaded the global push for a fossil fuel phase out and are hoping to co-host a historic COP31 UN climate talks with Australia next year, as well First Nations communities who have taken the government to the Federal Court to protect ancient and sacred rock art threatened by Woodside’s gas expansion.
Last night, as I lay in bed, holding my 2-year-old son as he slept peacefully, I couldn’t help but think of the future ahead of him. He will be 49 years old in 2070, and he will ask me what we did to stop the tsunami of loss and destruction surrounding us.
Just a few days earlier, on the other side of the world, the Brazilian Climate Observatory, the nation’s main climate network, sounded the alarm about Brazil, the COP30 host, clearing the way to license a major oil project off the Amazonian coast. As part of a coordinated effort, the Senate rolled back environmental impact assessments for future oil and gas projects, and then organised a public hearing in which they reviled the Minister of the Environment, Marina Silva.
And that is just the fossil fuel expansion efforts of the current and potential COP hosts.
But unlike fossil fuel executives, our movement and the government leaders pushing for a fossil fuel phase out will have an answer for our kids in 2070. We did everything we could. We fought to protect what we love from an industry that prioritised profit over life. And in doing so we limited the wreckage – because every fraction of a degree, every barrel of oil, every tonne of coal mattered.
In darker weeks like this, the momentum behind the push for a multilateral agreement on keeping fossil fuels in the ground truly does give me hope.
Specifically, in ten days, over 30 governments will meet at a major Senior Officials Meeting in Bonn to map out the next steps toward negotiating a Fossil Fuel Treaty.
Next month, this message will not be about new fossil fuel projects but about a new chapter in the effort to secure an international treaty to manage a transition away from coal, oil, and gas production.
From landmines to nukes, chlorofluorocarbons to plastics, history has shown that momentum and support from thousands of people are key to negotiating a new Treaty, and I hope you'll join us in pushing harder than ever for the negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Treaty in the months ahead.
Onwards, Michael Poland Campaign Director, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative
THE W.H.O. HAS ADOPTED A LANDMARK PANDEMIC AGREEMENT
The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative congratulates the World Health Organization on the adoption of the Pandemic Agreement after 3 years of negotiations. The legally binding pact aimed at improving preparedness for future pandemics, is a powerful reminder of what the world can achieve through international cooperation in the face of global threats.
Tackling the root causes of the climate crisis - coal, oil and gas - is critical to preventing the next global health emergency.
CHURCH OF SCOTLAND ENDORSES THE PROPOSAL FOR A FOSSIL FUEL TREATY
The Church of Scotland joins 450 faith institutions across the globe in standing up for a Fossil Fuel Treaty. Their support follows the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland endorsement of the proposal for a Treaty two years ago. This demonstrates a united front from Scotland’s major Christian denominations in support of urgent international cooperation to end fossil fuels.
LESSONS LEARNED SERIES: Lessons From The Mine Ban Movement For The Fossil Fuel Treaty Network
On May 22, 2025, we hosted the fourth session, Lessons from the Mine Ban Movement for the Fossil Fuel Treaty Network. Mary Wareham (Human Rights Watch) and Jill Sinclair (former Canadian diplomat) shared the power of reframing—how redefining landmines from a military issue to a humanitarian one, to “look at it from a different lens” was critical for gaining government support and establishing a new norm. Mary noted, “People don’t rally around a problem, they rally around a solution.” Jill stressed that “lessons learned are only relevant if you try and situate them in the current context.” While the current political climate is challenging, it shouldn’t terrify us into inaction. “Just because it's tough times doesn’t mean it's not the right time to act.”
FROM RESISTANCE TO TREATY: Disarming Systems of War, from Fossil Fuels to Autonomous Weapons - June 25, 4 PM BST
Join us for our next, and last, discussion when Mitzi Jonelle Tan will facilitate a conversation with activists from the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. Richard Moyes, a key architect of the campaign to stop killer robots, and Gisela Lujan Andrade, founder of Perú por el Desarme, will discuss successes and challenges of the bold and visionary campaign to ban lethal autonomous weapons systems.
Registerfor this session and watch past sessions here!
SAVE THE DATE: VIRTUAL SUMMIT, SEP 8-15
The climate crisis is accelerating, and fossil fuels remain its core driver. Our network understands this — the question is no longer if we must phase out fossil fuels, but how, when, and through what process. That’s where our upcoming virtual summit — and your leadership — comes in. Join us to plot the way to a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
With London Climate Action Week approaching, we’re partnering with the Climate Innovation Forum, Stamp Out Poverty, and Global Justice Now to reinforce collaboration with UK-based allies and strengthen momentum around the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. #LCAW2025 offers a key opportunity to align efforts and elevate the call for this bold, coordinated global response to the fossil fuel crisis. Stay tuned for more details and ways to join our upcoming London events — both in person and online.
IN THE MEDIA
“Woodside estimates the extension will pump out a further 4.3 billion tons of carbon emissions over the plant's lifetime. That is equivalent to 200 years of combined emissions from 14 Pacific island nations, says the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, backed by 11 Pacific island nations and territories. "This goes beyond politics," said Tuvalu's Climate Minister Maina Talia. "It is about the moral clarity to stand with those most affected by climate change."
“Mournes Alliance councillor Jill Truesdale brought forward the motion to sign up to the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.
She said: “It is clear we need a tangible binding plan that will end the expansion of coal, oil and gas projects and manage the global transition away from fossil fuels.
“If members are in agreement with this, this will be the first council in Northern Ireland to sign up to this treaty.”
“In their report, the two groups also make a number of recommendations for Ireland, to enable the country to wean itself away from fossil fuel investment – firstly, the introduction of a strong due diligence framework that includes the regulation of investors with respect to human rights and the environment and climate.
They call on Ireland to endorse developing a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to curb fossil fuel expansion, as well as support new tax rules under the under the UN Convention on Tax, conduct a fresh spillover analysis of Irish tax policy, and implement equitable taxes to finance climate action.”
SOCIALS WORTH SHARING
There are no jobs, no economic growth, and no human rights on a dead planet.
Pacific COP could help shape the global response
Kumi Naidoo spoke about the @fossilfueltreaty initiative and the transition away from fossil fuels being overwhelmingly clear for communities all over the globe.
In a powerful op-ed for The Guardian, Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr. calls on Australia to step up, not just as a global player, but as a true partner to its Pacific neighbours.
